book 8: The deatheater's tomb
by pistonunhappy227
Summary: this book is of what happened after book 7 including a lot of back story on the old favorites and some things that happened while the three were away. BIG CHAPTER! 26. Harry, Weatherwood, and Hagrid get into trouble in the USA. A big fight and failed flight.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer! **I don't own harry potter or any of the charictors! k, Thanks for reading this! you are very smart and wounderful, of course your going to like this! may have review problem or you may not have read it

**A WEASLEY SECRET**

_Fred and George are starting their second year at Hogwarts in two days,_ Ginny thought bitterly. It was not fair that they made you wait until you were eleven. She was ready now! She told as much to Charlie, one of her other older brothers, and he just smiled, ruffling her hair. A second later his hand stopped and he arched an eyebrow at her. "How old are you, Ginny?"

"Eight and a quarter". She replied, instantly regretting that last bit.

"Really"? He asked, looking over her head and scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"What?" She asked, defensively at first, then intrigued. "What?!?" She repeated, poking him to get his attention.

"Wait here." He whispered, looking around as if someone might be listening in. "I may have just what you are looking for." Without another word to her he ran off calling for their other brother, Bill."

Ginny shifted from foot to foot for what seemed like hours until Charlie returned, bill in tow. Bill held out a bundle wrapped in a pillow case. "You can't tell mom that we gave you this." Bill told her and pulled it away from her reaching hands.

"Promise." Charlie said, crossing his arms.

"I promise." Ginny told him, unable to tear her eyes from the tantalizing bundle. Once again Ginny found that a person would promise almost anything when a good surprise waited on their yes or no.

Bill gave her a smile and handed it over.

Ginny opened the sack like a Christmas present, nearly ripping the pillow case in her hurry.

Inside was an old, leather bound book with several pages sticking out. She frowned down at it, not sure what she had expected. "A manky old book?" She turned the book in her hands, disappointed.

"Manky? Ginny this is a spell book!" Bill tugged it out of her hands as he said it, showing a picture on the inside.

"Real spells?" Ginny's hands tried to reclaim the now magnificent, if still manky, old book.

Charlie rolled his eyes and retrieved the pillow case where she had discarded it. "Of course their real!" He told her, pulling a brittle looking stick from the sack. "And this is what your wand will look like."

"Well, once you make one anyway." Bill added.

Ginny took the "wand" and looked at them frowning, causing Charlie to sigh and shake his head at the clear doubt on her face. "No faith in us at all?"

"Come with us." Bill intervened. He handed her back the spell book and looking towards the house.

The two brothers made quite a show of making sure that they were not spotted as they led her to the little pond behind the house. Ginny had to run fast to keep up with her tall brothers and was breathless with anticipation as they entered the tall grass.

Charlie took a last look over the grass and then hunkered down to address her on her level. "Ok, look at the wand and tell me what you see."

Ginny turned the stick in her hands slowly, inspecting each side carefully. "It's some kind of reed." She told them with impatience plain in her voice. _Just give me a new one and let me have a go!_ She thought, trying hard not to tell them to hurry it up.

Charlie took the twig and showed her the bottom. "Yup, and it's been hollowed out."

Ginny looked at the bottom so closely that she almost poked her self in the eye. "There's something sticking out of it."

"That a girl!" Bill said, patting her arm.

"All real wands have a core." Charlie pulled out the pebble that was plugging the wand and dragged out a long blade of dead grass, coated in some kind of jelly.

"Normally it's a unicorn hair, phoenix feather, or a dragon's heart string."

Ginny had heard little about wands, other than that they were costly and cool. She nodded anyway and resisted screaming what she was thinking. _Shut up and give me a wand already!_

"That is because spells need a strong magical core to perform them." Bill continued, fully away of his sister's impatience.

"Wait, can't I get into a lot of trouble for using spells? I'm only eight."

"Are you sure you don't favor Percy, just a bit?" Bill asked, one eyebrow raised.

"It's not that." She said, waving a hand. "It's just that I don't want to end up in, you know, _Azkaban_."

The two brothers smiled at each other. "We wouldn't do that to a sibling!" Charlie said.

"Well maybe Percy." Bill admitted.

"Anyway, we made sure that these spells were tiny and undetectable, so no worries." Charlie continued. "Most wands have a strong core, yours will have glow grass. If the ministry picks up anything it will appear as an under age wizard's unavoidable acts of release."

Ginny peeked over to the garden where the glow grass grew. It had seemed so useless tell now.

"The core of a regular wand helps to focus and resist the magic you release thru it so you won't over do a spell, making it go wrong. Its resistance would prevent some one as young as you from doing more than spark firing." Bill pulled her head down as he explained this, telling her to stay out of sight.

Charlie went on as if she had not tried to stand up. "As for your wand, that's over there." He gestured to the reeds, a few feet from them.

"Compare the reed before breaking it off, then take a stick and poke it into the reed tell its hollow." Charlie produced a twig for just such a use. "Then all you have to do is get the conductive potion and choose a bit of grass big enough to fill the reed."

Bill produced a tiny pot made out of a soup can and an old pill divider full of ingredients. "Don't stir the potion with your wand." Charlie grinned behind his hand as Bill brought out a tiny set of metal measuring spoons. "For water." He poked a thumb over his shoulder at the pond. "Once made, the potion will be sucked into the wand automatically after you put the open tip into the solution. Plug wand with appropriate sized pebble."

Bill stood up then, making sure he wasn't being watched by any parents. "I'm going back to the house before mum gets suspicious. Tell her the rules and get back in side."

Once he was gone, Charlie informed her of the few rules for her new found freedom. "Practice only when you're sure you are alone. The best time is when mom is working and dad is at work."

Now he looked at her directly, holding her gaze. "First, don't use this by the road. Don't go too far from the house and avoid the garden gnomes."

Her eyes were wandering to the reeds now. She was quite desperate to get started and this git was talking rules!

Charlie lifted her chin and brought her back to attention. "Most important of all, never go into the west woods."

That rule got her to listen. "Why? What's wrong with the west woods?"

He looked to the west woods then and rubbed his arms, as if he'd just gotten a chill. "When I was your age, I wandered into those woods. It was a moonless night so I had no defense." He gave a shake and grabbed her arm. "There is a wraith in those woods and you would be no match for it even with your wand, so stay away from there."

Ginny had forgotten about the reeds now. This warranted all her attention. "What's a wraith? What happened? How did you get away? Why does the moon make a difference?" She fired these questions at him so fast that he didn't get a chance to answer one before the next was tumbling out of her mouth.

He held a hand up to stem her questions. "It is a bit like a ghost and I barely got back to the house before it attacked me. Before you ask, mum and dad have spells protecting us here in the house and yard which is why you shouldn't stray too far. It never comes out when there is any kind of moonlight out so you should be safe those nights."

He poked her with a finger. "Stay close to the house! If you just listen to that you will be fine."

She couldn't let him change the subject before she knew one more thing. "Do they, uh, eat people?"

"Nah. Mostly they scream until their prey goes mad. So what are you going to do?"

"Stay away from the woods, stay close to the house, and avoid the road." She told him. Her attention was again wavering between fear of his possibly fake story and the reeds.

"And?" He asked her.

She snapped back to him and tried to remember exactly what he had said. "Oh yeah, avoid the gnomes. I got it."

He patted her shoulder and stood up to leave. "Oh, I almost forgot, you may need to change out the grass and potion. It sometimes gets weak and the wand starts to falter."

"Ok!" She shot over her shoulder as she sprinted towards the reeds, fear and brothers already forgotten in the thrill of her first wand.

Reed in hand, Ginny ran towards the glow grass, unaware that Mrs. Weasly was heading towards the garden as well.

"Coming to help in the garden dear?" Misses Weasily asked her as she slid to a stop. Ginny's mother looked down at the book in her hand and then back to her face.

"I…Uh," Ginny stammered, heart racing.

Her mother only smiled and knelt down to begin weeding. "Writing in your diary, are you?" She smiled at her daughter's expression. "I had one at your age. Don't worry, I won't read it.

Ginny nearly collapsed with relief. "Thanks mum." She promised herself to be more careful in the future and helped her mother for as long as she could stand as punishment for nearly blowing the whole thing. That lasted thirteen minutes before she slipped a blade of grass up her sleeve and made an excuse to get away.

"Get your fun in while you can, Ginny, home schooling will start day after tomorrow."

Ginny waved over her shoulder and tried not to run around the house. If anyone else tried to delay her she would kick there shins tell they went away!

Five minutes later she was putting a pebble into the bottom of her first wand. She had almost stirred her potion with her wand like Bill had. _I don't even want to know what that does._ With vibrating hands, she opened her book to look for a spell.

The first pages were for how to make a wand and the same warning that her brothers had already told her about. She flipped those so hard that they ripped a bit. The third page held an index and a scale for difficulty. One star for easy and so on.

_Better try a single star first._ The next page had an easy spell that didn't seam to be noisy or flash so she gave it a try. She waved her wand and softly said: Pollen Arom.

When nothing happened she sniffed the air around her new wand. Either "Pollen scent" was a dud or she did it wrong. After rereading the spell she saw that she had forgotten the swirl at the end of the hand movements.

_Ok, armature mistake, I can do this!_ Ginny pinched her eyes shut and tried again, swirling at the end this time. The smell of lilacs surged out of her wand, a barely visible sparkle, like dust in a sunbeam, came out with the scent.

Ginny hopped up from her hiding spot, spun on her toe, and gave a stifled whoop. _I'm not a squib!_ It wasn't until she had said this in her head that she realized how much that thought had frightened her. She was afraid to admit it to herself, but being a squib was scarier than lord you know who. _Well almost._

Soon she had a group of bees, attracted to the multiple flower smells she was hosing the area with, so, afraid of being stung, she moved to a new area and searched for a more challenging spell.

As she turned the pages, she found scribbled spells that must have been done by Bill or Charlie. One was a potion for spying. It required soap shavings, water, beetle eyes, bull bee legs, and gnome drool. _Stir in spell warmed water; counter clockwise first four minutes then counter clockwise last minute. Dip wand into potion and cast breeze spell to make two bubbles. Let first bubble go where it will, keep second on wand tip to look through. Second bubble will show where first bubble is near._

In quotations, it said the leviosa spell would work well with the first bubble.

_Cool and clever!_ She thought, moving on to the printed spells.

She found the breeze spell (one star) and was about to give it a try when her mother called her in for supper.

Drat! She gave it a try on the way in, but could not tell if it worked or not. Mildly frustrated, she went in to eat, only to be sent to the wash room to clean her hands. _Sorry mom, being a witch is dirty business!_ That thought made her quite pleased and she smiled broadly as she came to the table.

Eager to get back to work, she wolfed down her dinner and rushed off without desert, ignoring Bill and Charlie's knowing smiles.

By the time she was called in for the night, she had learned the breeze spell and a three star spell called Statum Colub which made a spark of electricity jump from the wand to a target up to twenty feet away.

She stowed her book and wand in the broom closet, before heading in. _I should be practicing for quiddich, but this is just too fun!_

After putting away her clean clothes, Ginny went to her brother Percy's room to ask for the winding alarm clock their father had charmed to sound like their mother chiding her awake.

"What for?" Percy asked, scribbling in a ledger.

"I just want an early start." She told him. She meant it too; she would just be getting an early start around midnight.

"Good for you." He leaned over to pull a box of odds and ends out from under his bed. "If Fred and George showed as much ambition as you, they might make the ministry one day."

At eleven that night, she was awakened by her mother's voice, muffled by her pillow, telling her she was going to be late.

Ginny rubbed her eyes and was immediately tempted to go back to sleep. _Spells, you git, real spells!_ The fact that she had slept in her clothes sealed the deal and she got out of bed.

Every step in their rickety staircase seamed to have its own voice as she crept down towards the kitchen. She winced as some of the steps gave particularly loud creaks, right outside bedrooms. At one point, she heard a bird chirp outside Bill's window and she was sure he had groaned.

Ginny willed her brother to stay asleep and moved on to the last steps before the kitchen. No one got up, so she went to the windows to sneak out. She knew the doors would be magically sealed.

Much to Ginny's dismay, every window she tried was locked. She sighed with relief when the second to last window slid open.

She was on the sill, ready to hop out, when she noted how cold it had gotten out there. She considered going back for a sweater, but thought better of it. _Not up that rickety staircase!_ With that, she hopped out into the darkness.

Getting her book and wand from the broom shed was much harder in the dark. It was like picking the lock with her eyes closed. _Next time I should bring a candle._

Her next obstacle was that she couldn't see her spells very well. The sliver of moon that was out gave very little light. _Crud! I could have brought the dragonfly night light Fred and George gave me before their first year!_ The light was in her dresser so that too was out of reach.

A great idea struck her then. She had seen a light spell on the same page as the breeze spell. A painstakingly slow search turned up the spell and she squinted to read its incantation._ Lunar lumus._

Her first try did nothing at all, her second got a tiny glow, but her third got a steady beam to form that was good enough to see by. _My second day and I already have two level three spells!_

Ginny spun in a circle, her light spinning around her like a tiny light house.

She tried a two star spell next, which combined the breeze spell with a whisper, but she couldn't get it to come to her ears so she wasn't sure it was working

Her last spell of the night was a five star spell. She had no luck with it and realized that she was shivering with a rumbling belly. _Tomorrow I'll bring a sweater and some food!_ As she headed in she added a quill and ink to her list, her night light, and some potion ingredience for a potion.

Ginny gave the five star spell a last try on the way in and flourished too close to the house. _Snap!_ Her wand broke near the bottom, leaking the goo inside onto her hand. _Nice one, dummy!_

Ginny sighed as she wiped her hand on her jeans. _Make a new wand._ That would go on top of her list tomorrow. She kissed the broken reed and placed it gently along side the house. _You were a great first wand._ She told it and headed up to her room, avoiding the creakiest steps as best she could.

_I'm so hungry I doubt I could sleep now._ She thought, but the covers were warm and heavy, and she was asleep in less than a minute.

"You're up late." Misses Weasly told her as a groggy eyed Ginny stuffed food into her yawning mouth.

"Ah wahs weeding wait wast night." Ginny managed around a mouthful of eggs.

Charlie, who had already finished his breakfast, snorted into his coffee. He winked at Ginny behind their mother's back.

As she ate, Bill came down as well to tuck in.

"Another late riser." Their mom noted as she made him a plate.

"If I knew there was eggs and bacon, stead o worms, I would have been an early bird." Charlie told her, looking slightly less tired than Ginny felt.

After her chores, Ginny went to find the ingredience for her spying potion. The soap, water, and such were easy enough, but the gnome drool required a bit of danger. She doubted that they just handed out their drool, unless they spit on you of course. _Its one of the rules._ This thought held little weight and she shrugged it off.

While making a new wand, she tried to formulate a plan to trick the little buggers out of their slobber. It wasn't until she was called for lunch that she came up with an idea. She would use the cinnamon scent spell to lure one of them close enough to nab.

She made sure every one was inside before she put her plan into motion. She spied a gnome pulling at a carrot's stem and took aim. Once the scent hit it, the gnome looked right at her and sprinted away.

Seeing how fast they were, she reconsidered her plan. _George said they bite and Bill said to keep away from them. Maybe I should try a safer potion._

Ginny realized then, that she was scared of the little buggers and decided that it was dumb to fear such things. _Besides, Harry Potter wouldn't run from a gnome so I won't either._

She stood up straighter then, and rushed into a crowd of gnomes, her plan for spells forgotten.

The gnomes scattered and she jumped for the largest one, making them all laugh as she fell to the ground, empty handed. "OOf!" The gnomes called, mimicking her as they hopped out of reach.

Enraged by their laughter, Ginny sped off after another who was dancing and falling comically.

She chased the gnomes for ten minutes until she was out of breath and very dirty. She kicked a rock as she returned to where she started. _Harry would have flattened those gnomes._ She thought bitterly.

_Wait a minute, I'm a witch!_

Ginny snatched up her wand from where it had landed and turned back towards the garden, now ringed with grinning gnome. Some of the gnomes waved and one called to her. "Hey clumsy, come catch me!"

"That tears it!" Ginny told the little gnome and raised her wand. "Statum colop!"

A bolt of electricity struck the laughing gnome in the middle. The fat gnome wobbled as it hit him, looking dazed.

The other gnomes watched as he shook himself and bolted away, then they turned back to, a now smiling, Ginny and scattered.

Although the spell was satisfying to use, Ginny had no more luck catching a gnome, they were just too fast.

_Think_. She told herself and flipped through the spell book for inspiration.

When she came across the breeze/whisper spell, she smiled as a new plan came to her. _Fred said they were stupid._ With this in mind, she got closer to a spot she had last spied a gnome running to and saw his feet sticking out from under a tomato plant.

Ginny waved her wand in spirals up to her mouth and whispered into it. Once she said her message, she aimed towards the gnome and finished the spell.

Because the spell was invisible, she couldn't see if it worked until the gnome gave a start and looked behind himself.

Ginny bolted towards the gnome and scooped him up before it knew she was there. A cry of victory joined its cry of surprise.

The gnome struggled in her grip as a stream of swear words issued from its mouth. Ginny was so surprised by this that her grip slackened and it managed to sink its teeth into her finger. The pain made her drop the gnome and she aimed a kick at it as he ran off, cackling.

"Laugh all you want," Ginny yelled after it. "I got what I want." Her finger was covered in the little critter's drool.

She spent the rest of the time before dinner searching for a way to heat the water for her potion, but there just wasn't any fire spell in the book. She considered starting a fire the muggle way, but if caught, she would spend the rest of the week unable to sit properly.

The book had a spell for gathering the water by siphoning it up and one for making a tiny rain cloud, just no spells for heating it. _Ahh! Warm water, not boiled._ She ran to the shed to get her soup can pot and old spoon.

After she warmed the water with her bath water spell, she quickly added the ingredience. In just a few minutes she had her first real potion. _I'm going to be head girl at this rate!_ If it wasn't for the potion, she would have cast the one that made leaves into a water proof hat.

The only thing she got to see with the spying potion was Percy shaking hands with an invisible person while staring into the mirror. This wasn't particularly awesome; it was just something to keep in mind for emergencies.

As she lay down to sleep that night, she realized that she had forgotten to knick food for her midnight spell casting. That was a good enough reason for her to take a night off. She was asleep as soon as she shut off her alarm.

Ginny kept up with her spell work every day and most nights as well. This caused her to have bed dreams of being caught or arrested, but she kept on, dreams or no dreams.

Ginny barely knowtesed when her brothers left for Hogwarts, what with practice and home schooling.

The one brother she did see a lot of was Ron. Her brother was always lurking in the places she wanted to practice in and rarely wanted to do anything with her. This left night time as her only time to practice which she did, even when her brothers came home for Christmas holiday.

It was on the second night of the holidays, that she was out working on a level five spell, when she heard a noise. _Someone is out tonight? I have to hide!_

The sound came again as she was heading to the tall grass and she realized that it was an animal's cal, not a Weasily.

She stopped in her tracks as she recognized the animal it was coming from. It sounded like a goat, probably one off misses Kittle's from one of the near by farms.

_Odd that it would be this far from the yard. _She decided to take a look and see if it was just passing by or running away.

Stumbling thru the dark she found the goat, its lead string tangled in a bush.

"Hello little…" Ginny froze as another sound got her attention. It was an eerie crooning and it was coming from the woods. _Gasp! The west woods!_ She had wandered far from her home and, worse than that, close to the wraith's hunting grounds.

The sound from the trees was freezing her legs and a shape was coming out of the woods. Ginny would have screamed if she was able to do anything but stare at it in fright. The wraith's voice was horribly human sounding, but its form was huddled and terrible. It had long arms with wobbly, clawed hands and eyes of red fire; the whole legless body was glowing green in the dark.

The creature was heading in her general direction and if she didn't move quickly it was bound to see her. Ginny gave a massive effort and forced her legs to get moving.

She was managing to walk ok, so it was not holding her in place with any fear powers it might posses. She was about to try a run when a different cry halted her legs.

The goat was baying pitifully, every noise sounded like a plea for her help. _I'm sorry, but what can I do?_ She tried to move again, but the goat's call was making her weak.

Ginny could tell that the monster was closing on the frantic animal, and worse, she could tell that she was the only one close enough to help.

She looked at the pitiful scene, hot tears beginning to roll down her cheeks. _I'm only eight._ She thought, staying where she was. She turned to look up at the burrow, where many competent wizards were safely sleeping. She would never be able to get them out here in time.

As the goat gave another cry, the wraith nearly on top of it, Ginny moved forward. _Blast you Charlie, I should be in there too!_ She raised her wand and called to the glowing form. "Stop."

The creature didn't seem to knowest her weak sounding voice. _If this doesn't work I'll haunt you forever Bill!_ "I said stop! Statum colop!" This time her voice rang clear and loud, emphasized by the bolt of lightning that flew from her wand.

The wraith did not appear to be injured by the spell, yet it had stopped crooning and turned now to her. _Oh crap! I hit it with my most powerful spell! Curse you Bill, I should be in bed!_

With horrible patience, the specter slowly raised its arms and began to croon again, advancing now on her.

Ginny tried to think of another spell to cast while she backed up as fast as she could. "Rapeleo crown!" She shouted and a second later something plopped on her head, causing her to scream. _Stupid hat of leaves! I need a better spell than that!_

She tried again, this time casting Breeze. This spell had a better affect than her previous ones. The wraith was blasted with wind which was slowing its progress. _Not slow enough!_ At this rate, the wraith would have her in seconds.

Ginny gripped the wand even tighter and tried to remember what her brother had told her about the wraith. Suddenly, the wand cracked in her hand, weakening the wind spell._ Oh no! Did I just break my wand?!_ She loosened her grip and the wind continued.

_Do something, you idiot!_ She thought furiously, the wraith was just feet from her!

Amazingly the whole conversation with Charlie came back to her. _It fears the moon like…_

Ginny dropped her wand arm and marched forward, her fear being replaced by hurt and rage. She went into a run, swatted the wraith aside and kicked the goat right in the rear. "That was a horrible trick Charlie!" She bellowed.

The goats baying turned to a yelp as it flopped forward into the bush. "Hey! I'm just a prop here!" The voice was not a goat or Charlie, it was someone else.

The _goat_ turned its head and Ginny clearly saw the face of Fred, who was wearing some kind of robe that was charmed to look like a goat.

"We're over here Ginny!" That did sound like Charlie, which must mean that Bill was over there as well.

"Ginny Weasily! What were you thinking?" That one sounded terribly like her mother, the voice coming from the woods, where many some ones were emerging.

"Mum? Dad? What…?" All her brothers were there, even Ron, Ginning out of the dark at her.

"Lunar lumous." Charlie said, holding up a lit reed wand. He had emphasized what she had guessed, lunar, or moon, lumous.

She was boiling over with hurt and anger now. They had gotten her in trouble with mom, just for a laugh.

Her father answered her thought. "We were the true ring leaders in this Ginny."

"Why? What was the point of terrifying me half out of my wits?" Her parents were behind this? Now she was lost for how to feel.

Her mother continued. "We do this to show you how dangerous the wizarding world can be." She said this kindly and knelt to hug her. "Why didn't you run for help dear? You could have woken us for this."

"There was no time." Ginny told her feeling stupid. "I thought goat boy, over there, was in trouble." She gestured to Fred who looked like a long legged goat on its hind feet, little arms wiggling as the others laughed at him.

Ginny wiped her cheeks, unaware that she had cried. "So this was all a test?"

"Most of it." Bill told her, scuffing her hair. "You did learn about how to perform spells and make potions. Even these weak spells make good practice."

Something occurred to her then and she turned to her parents. "I can use these spell without hiding?"

"Only if you stick to the rules from now on. Break them again and we will take the wand away." Her mother hugged her again and stood up.

Ginny held up her hand and swore. "I will be as responsible in that as Fred and George."

"Then we should take it away now." Her father said with a big grin.

"Not yet." Ginny told them as she turned towards her brothers. "It still has some work to do."

She shot a spark into the goat's tail, making it hop comically. "Yeow! What was that for?"

"For calling for help so convincingly. And you!" Ginny turned towards Charlie and made a tiny rain cloud form over his head, little rain drops soaking into his hair."

"Muuum! Make her stop!" Charlie whined, pulling his collar up.

She turned back towards Bill and Fred. "Now Ginny," Fred told her, little goat paws held in front of him. "don't be a baaaad girl!"

"Ahhrrrgg." Ginny roared, chasing them into the darkness, their forms lit by occasional bolts of spell electricity.

Mr. Weasly chuckled and put an arm around his wife. "See Molly? Our little girl will be just fine."

Mrs. Weasly sighed. "I know, but you watch, with this lot around her, she won't end up with a quiet boy."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter oneish new heroes**

Harry sighed as he pulled his new dress robes out of the closet and wondered why he had even put them away. He had always thought that once Voldimor was dead, his life would never be sad again. The last week had been an excellent example of how wrong he was. Funeral after funeral, Harry found that there was a lot of sadness left in the world.

He smiled in spite of packing the robes that he wished he would never have to put on again. There had been a few blissful moments mixed in with the misery. Like the day he heard that he was to be aloud to go back to Hogwarts to finish his seventh year or getting to play Quiddich with his friends for the first time in what felt like years.

All of that paled to the night Harry had spent with Ginny on their first date since they broke up last year. Well, it wasn't a real date, but Harry was pleased to find that he was aloud to go with her to town, even if it was with Ron and Hermione. Too bad he had been too nervous to make a move.

Harry checked his watch and pushed his dress clothes into his backpack to keep them clear of the floo powder. He glanced up as Creature came into the master bed room to gather the tea set. "How was master's tea?" Creature croaked up at Harry.

"It was great Creature, thank you." Harry told him.

"Master is too kind." Creature replied, his locket clicking on the floor as he bowed. "Will Master Harry be home for supper?"

Harry considered for a moment before answering. "Perhaps Creature, I'll see what happens and send a school owl." Creature nodded and bowed again before leaving the room.

Harry failed to see him leave; he was taken over by a painful memory from a few months ago. He crossed the room and touched the picture of a snowy white owl, draw long ago when he had first gotten his faithful owl.

Too many friends lost, too many deaths that he felt could be laid at his feet.

Harry sighed and rechecked his pocket for the special galleon so he could continue with the D.A. when he got back. _Time to face the music._ He thought, calling out his destination as he tossed the floo powder into the fire place. The green flames licked over him, but could not burn away his mournful feelings.

He stepped out of the fireplace and grimaced at the unrepaired appearance of the great hall. Harry hated the thought that his school, his home, had suffered as his friends had, to bring Voltimor down.

A student crossed the hall and moved towards the fireplace, a reptile mask covering his head. Harry had just seen similar ones in the closet that he had found floo repelling long coats that were used when going somewhere fancy. Harry took out a napkin from his pocket and wiped at his face, realizing that he probably should have done that as well.

The student stopped at the fireplace and looked at Harry threw the eye slits. He nodded and tossed before disappearing in the flames. _At least he didn't ask for an autograph._

Kormack Mclaggon was in the hallway, adjusting his robes in the reflection of a shiny bit of armor. He yelled to Harry as he came closer. "Oye, Harry! Good to see another _original_ D.A. member." Harry didn't miss the emphasis.

Harry nodded, touching the coin in his pocket "How are you, Kormack?"

"Can't say that I want ta tangle with another bunch of death eaters quite yet, but I think I came out ok." Mclaggon pointed towards the bandages on his hand.

Harry's gaze lingered on the bandaged hand. "No missing fingers then?"

"Nah," He replied, fixing his cuff. "It should be fine in a week or so."

"Good to hear it." Harry told him and found that he really did mean it. Kormack was a bit of a git, still he had seen too many caskets this year and, git or not, he would have been glad to see a lot more survivors.

"Seen Hermione yet?" Harry was somewhat distracted as he asked. Dumbledor's tomb was visible in the distance threw the window and a short time ago, he had reopened that tomb to put the _elder wand_ back in its rightful place.

"Not yet, but I've been playing quiddich on the pitch so I coulda missed her." Kormack told Harry about the game he had just played, probably to remind him of his keeping skills. If Harry regained the captain status, he would hope that Kormack had graduated. He doubted the twit had matured enough to be humble when it came to listening and keeping to his position.

He was able to shake him off when Mclaggon's girlfriend showed up, allowing Harry to continue his search for Ron and Hermione.

His friends were holding hands and talking to Cho Chang and Hanna Abbot. It looked as if half the school was out here with their parents, smiling and chatting. Harry doubted that they had been to half as many funerals as he had. He envied them for that.

Cho was the first to see Harry, shouting his name and getting the whole crowd to turn and look at him. The four of them hurried over to him before the others had a chance to bum rush him.

With so many people looking at him, Harry felt subconscious smiling at his friends, but could not resist. It had been a long time since they were able to hang out without a tragic event hanging over them like a shroud. "Home at last aye?"

His friends smiled at the shared feeling for the school. "Sorry we couldn't get together, but… you know." Ron didn't have to explain and Harry was glad he didn't try.

A silence held between them until the crowd gathered around them, sticking out hands and Patting Harry's back.

"Well done potter!"

"You did it!"

"Is that really the end of you know who?"

The questions and statements were fired at him so fast that he had no time to react to them. Before he knew it, Harry had shaken the hands of two Slytherins amongst the other house colors, both with bandages.

Suddenly Hermione was dragging Harry out of the group, apologizing as she went. "Did I just shake…?" The rest was over ridden by Hermione. "She's here!" Giving him a push towards an advancing red head.

Harry stumbled to a stop in front of Ginny, horribly aware that he was staring and his mouth was hanging open. He shut his mouth with a click and, finding his voice, greeted his former girlfriend. "Uh… hi!"

She ignored the awkward greeting and pulled his head down into a strong, brief kiss.

Once again, Harry was at a loss for words, grinning at her while she explained herself. "Mums right behind me, had to be quick."

Harry didn't really hear what she had said; he was still basking in the glow of how quickly he had managed to get back to what really mattered. He stopped himself from pulling her into another kiss as Misses Weasley came into view, giving her words a review.

He took a hasty step away from Ginny as her mother approached.

Misses Weasley just smiled at him warmly. "Don't be silly Harry; we've known about you two for years." She hugged him very tightly and kissed his cheek. "And we approve."

Harry pointed to Ginny. "What about the break up?" He wanted to say how he had hurt her and so much more about why he should not be allowed to be with Ginny, but he squashed that idea flat.

Misses Weasley smiled at him. "I know why you did it, Harry, and I appreciate what you were trying to do. That was probably the hardest part for you." She added something in a murmur that he was not supposed to hear. "Cried for a week." She cleared her throat before going on. "There isn't any reason for it now."

Harry sagged with relief and moved back to Ginny's side.

"I'm going to get us some seats; you two have fun for a while." Ginny's mother said as she headed towards the chairs.

Harry pulled Ginny towards him, ignoring the people surrounding them, their lips coming closer.

"Not that much fun." Misses Weasley called over her shoulder, a finger waving in the air. She didn't have to turn around, making Harry think she had trained under Mad Eye Moody.

Harry grinned and kissed her all the same, breaking quickly to ask a question. "Will you go out with me tomorrow?"

Ginny arched an eyebrow at him and pulled away. "After that lousy kiss? You're lucky that I haven't run off already."

"Practice makes perfect, baby." Harry replied, slinking back to her and wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh please!" Ron grumbled.

Hermione gave her boyfriend an eye roll and dragged him towards the crowd again. "You were ready to skip the battle for some of that, give them a break."

Ron gave her the same eyebrow wiggle. "I still am."

Harry tried to set his new found happiness and brought up the Slytherins again.

"Turns out that while you were being stood up for by the other houses, some of the Slytherins were sneaking off to the pitch to fight _against_ the death eaters." Ginny told him, her arm in his as they came back to the students.

Hermione picked up on what they were discussing and added her own bit. "Seams quite a bit of the students tried doing their own bit on the sly. We just met a couple of them who wanted to talk to you in private."

Ron pointed to a couple sitting on a bench, staring at Harry as he approached. He pointed to the tall black boy. "That's the bloke who told us about the grim in Trolornies, Antony Griffop and the girls Tara, I don't know her last name."

Even sitting, Antony was half a foot taller than Tara. The girl was trying to look at them threw her dark hair, looking like she was a bit shy. They were trying to hide the fact that they were talking about Harry, Tara's pale hand over her mouth.

Hermione waved to them as they approached. "Tara told me that they had snuck out with a forged note from McGonigal.

That stopped Harry in his tracks. Did they want to explain why they had run off? He didn't think he wanted to hear that story. He didn't mind that a lot of people fled. It was a good idea for some one to young or inexperienced to run, but these two looked like they were neither of those things.

Hermione pushed him back into motion. "I know what you are thinking, Harry, give them a chance." She looked over to the students. "Sounded like they were trying to save someone."

Disarmed, Harry advanced on his own. He wanted to ask who they were trying to save, but they were to close to ask and not be rude.

Tara hopped up, eyes going a bit wide as she saw Harry up close. Antony got up smoothly. He had a slow calm appearance that spoke of confidence. "Harry. Hello…uh, I'm Tara"

Antony put a thick hand on her shoulder. "Hi guys, sorry about Tara, she's under the delusion that she failed you."

Tara went pink and brushed his hand off her shoulder. "Thanks a bunch." She tried to straiten to her full height, which was shorter than Hermione. "We did our best and managed to get pretty close to him, but there was just too many of them. I wanted… well we wanted to give our side a better chance and he _had_ saved us. We just… sort of…" She was becoming pinker by the second.

Antony stepped in again. "We brought a way around this." He gave Tara a smile and gestured towards an odd stone potion bottle attached to her belt.

A light bulb appeared above her head and she plucked the bottle out of her belt holder. "Come with me…uh, please." Her eyes darted among the group. "You can all come."

They ended up in an unused gazebo, with so many students on the grounds; the teachers had locked all the rooms to avoid any snogfests. "This" Tara indicated the bottle as she dipped her wand into it. "Is called the story tellers potion, of my own design."

She looked, to Harry, to be quite proud of this. He kept his opinion to himself though, at a look from Hermione. Trying to look like he had not been about to make a snide comment, he looked closer at the bottle, spying runes on the side similar to those on Dumbledor's pensive.

Just as he had seen before, Tara took a memory from the side of her temple with the potion covered tip of her wand. As she pulled the wand away from her head, a bubble formed where the wispy memories usually appeared, growing to a beach ball size before breaking away from her head.

"We can't tell you how we got out of the castle that is a secret. Once we were out though, trouble came really quick." With that, she waved her wand and the bubble stopped about four feet off the floor, an image appearing like a round T.V. showing the two students running towards the forbidden forest.

Tara cleared her throat before beginning. "We had our brooms and headed, on foot, towards the forest, ducking low to avoid detection." The bubble showed the two dropping to the ground in the weeds, sweat coating their faces as a figure came towards their simple hiding spot.

"Several death eaters were patrolling the grounds that night." Tara told them. She was looking at the globe like this was her first time seeing it. Harry could relate. He rarely wanted to relive tense moments of his past, much less see them play out before him.

"I thought our plan had failed at this point." Antony confided. He was watching the globe with a wariness about himself, as if the dark wizard was about to come out of the image.

Tara was nodding as she continued. "This was the closest we came to death eaters, but we had to dodge them all the way into the forest." The death eater continued to come towards them, his eyes on the castle walls. He spotted several wizards looking down in his direction and turned around, heading back among the trees.

The bubble showed them crawling the rest of the way, Tara looking like a crab as she scrabbled along. "It looks funny now, but any one of those trees could have been hiding a death eater."

Antony watched the bubble shrink then, the two reaching the edge of the woods. "The image doesn't show how scared we were. I had my wand out, but at that moment I couldn't have said a word, my throat had closed so much."

He added his own memory to the explanation, this time showing them mounting their brooms as they cast fearful glances at the surrounding trees. "We were quite keen on getting into the tree tops then. We felt very exposed, trees or no trees."

The bubble showed them race to the upper branches, occasionally getting smacked and swatted by limbs. "I could feel eyes following us. It was like breaking into the ministry or something." His deep voice was soft; as if he was afraid he would be heard in the image.

He did spare them all a glance as he mentioned the ministry, which Ginny confirmed with a shake of her head and I smile. "We can relate to that as well."

"We were moving threw the trees, but at a snails pace so I opted to go a bit lower so we could speed up. We were sure they would kill the prisoner if we didn't hurry." Antony squinted at the dark image, wincing at what he knew was coming. "I got desperate. I should have let Tara take the lead." He looked, to Harry, to be avoiding Tara's gaze.

Tara was looking at the image when she replied to this. "We never would have made it at my speed. You were right to take over and they attacked with invisibility cloaks on so we couldn't have avoided them anyway."

Antony's nod did not look very convincing as he continued. Ginny's gasp brought Harry back to the bubble. From out of nowhere, spells and crossbow bolts were flying up towards the two.

"These were imperioed goblins, set as guards against assaults. Did a bang up job against us." Antony frowned as his smaller image bobbed and weaved close to Tara.

Just as it seamed that the two would escape, a large blast of orange magic erupted between the two. Tara was blown off course, into a tree, Antony's broom was destroyed and he was blasted aside to plummet to the ground. He hit a fallen tree and bounced off painfully into a river.

Harry looked at the two friends. Antony was watching his own story with a grimace, but Tara was watching Antony, her eyes glowing with moisture.

The image went dark as Antony hit the water. "This is where I blacked out for a bit." He explained with a shrug, like he had fallen asleep.

Tara sniffed next to him and wiped her eyes before making another bubble. "I hit the tree hard and was tangled near the middle." The goblins were gathering a dazed looking Tara and binding her with ropes. They carried her groggy form to their camp which was hidden by an illusion charm until they entered it, making the charm fail.

"Here is where they strung me up like a goose." She looked angrily at the image of herself being tied to a tree in front of a tent. One goblin stood guard nearby.

Tara's bubble popped and Antony made another, the image in this one fading in and out at the edges. "I felt dizzy getting out of the water, being half frozen and all."

He said nothing more about the fading, but Harry was willing to bet that he had been really injured when he got out of the water.

"I must have been sent pretty far down river cause I was half an hour getting back." Antony was moving slowly in his picture, almost dragging one leg.

Now the bubble showed Tara, tied to the post and Antony sneaking up on an unsuspecting goblin. "Bugger didn't even see it coming." Antony said as his image whacked the goblin over the head with a rock. His bubble was getting darker as it went on, like its battery was running down so Antony let it go out.

Tara made another and continued. The goblin was on the ground and Antony was leaning over it, looking for something.

"Blighmy!" Ron said as blood ran out of Antony's mouth and he gripped the leg he was dragging. A crossbow bolt was sticking out of the back of his calf, blood covering his jeans.

Antony rubbed the leg that had been hit in the picture. "Yeah, I caught one back there, lost my wand too."

Harry swallowed. "Broken ribs and a punctured lung?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Antony only nodded eyes on the memory. His image self limped over to Tara without pause and he used her wand, retaken from the goblin, to cut her bonds.

Tara raced strait to the tent and returned with her battered broom. She said something to Antony, but he could not hear what. Harry realized that the images were unable to produce sound, but didn't want to interrupt the story.

"That's when I told him we were going back." She looked to the real Antony who refused to look back. "He was much to injured to go on."

Harry couldn't tell what they were saying so he did his best to figure the next bits out. "Hold on to me." She whispered over her shoulder. "We're gonna make it." The two took off, Antony holding loosely to her back and they wobbled up into the trees. Antony was dribbling blood onto the back of her robes, his face drooping onto her shoulder. As Tara tried to rise, his arms dropped to his side and he slid sideways off the broom.

"Antony!" Tara screamed silently as her friend began to fall. She grabbed his robes before he went all the way, getting pulled off herself in the process. Every one gasped, except for Tara, who just winced. It was painful to watch them fall to the ground like that and Harry was reminded of his fall when the dementors took him out in the middle of a quiddich match.

Antony winced and looked over to Tara who was close to tears now.

The two in the image thumped down and suddenly the goblins were coming, sending more bolts and spells at them. Tara struggled to her knees and pulled her wand firing a spell into the oncoming goblins. Before she could fire another, she was hit in the chest and leg with bolts. She didn't even have time to scream from that pain before another orange blast tore into the ground at her knees, throwing her back in a flip. She landed on her face, the bolt in her chest breaking, and stared threw one eye at Antony. He was feet from her, scrabbling weakly at the ground in an attempt to get up.

Ginny was gripping Harry's arm so tight that his hand was going numb. He felt sick from looking at the memories of blood and pain, but could not tear his eyes away. He felt terrible that he had imagined these brave people as coward's just minutes before.

In the bubble, there were new spells flying around, these aimed at the goblins. Tara's bubble was getting darker now. She managed to turn her head in time to see several people on brooms hit the ground and chase off the goblins.

Harry saw, before the picture faded, that all of the student's robes were lined in green.

"Of all the people to come to our rescue, it had to be the Slytherins." Antony sounded slightly disgusted with the idea.

Harry gave a start. "But I thought they were sent out of the school!"

"Most did, but a few of the older ones, mostly their quddich team, stayed to fight." Now Antony sounded awed at the courage of the unlikely heroes.

Ginny added to the incredibility of the situation. "They knew they couldn't stay in the great hall because every one thought of them as Voldimor supporters so they fought outside. Alone!"

As they all tried to accept this fact, Harry remembered a question he had thought of earlier. "Who were you going to rescue?" They had to be pretty good friends to risk so much over.

Tara was still staring at Antony, but answered anyway. "Hagrid. We saw the spiders drag him from the hall. Right after he saved us."

Antony looked at Harry; he didn't want to meet his friend's eyes when she was looking at him like this. "We couldn't leave him to be eaten by spiders after what he did for us. We thought you might have gone, we saw you too, but…"

Harry looked to Hermione and Ron, unable to explain why he left his friend like that.

"He nearly did." Ron told them. "We had to keep him focused on Voldimor."

Antony settled himself on a bench. "I figured as much. We all understood that you had a lot on your plate."

"A few of us were up on the second floor when Belatrix strolled in and blasted one of the teachers off their feet." Tara was putting the wand back to her head as she told them. She gave a quick glance that spoke volumes to Antony and then brought herself to the moment at hand. "Here, I'll show you."

This new memory showed a Hogwarts corridor near the stairs. To Harry it looked like the second floor.

Suddenly the corridor, which a moment before held two students and a teacher, was invaded by Belatrix and another death eater that Harry did not recognize. Her wand whipped forward and the teacher was hit before he could turn to face her. She had her wand on Tara and Antony as they tried to react, a nasty white line coming from her wand.

As her arm came down, a huge form dropped in front of the students, the line smashing into it. Harry saw the familiar coat rip apart and a bit of blood splash on a wild beard. Sure enough, it was Hagrid. "Not today." The huge form mouthed as a huge fist swung towards Belatrix. Without inches to spare, Belatrix dove out the smashed window, the fist meant for her, knocking her companion right out of the room.

"You lot ok?" Hagrid mouthed as the two shook themselves free of their shock. He pointed towards the teacher on the floor and said something they couldn't understand before going down the stairs to hunt more death eaters.

The bubble popped and Antony stepped forward again. "After that, we couldn't just let him be killed."

Harry pulled himself off the bench and stuck his hand out to Antony. "You both sacrificed nearly everything to help us win. Thank you."

Instantly the others were congratulating the two along side Harry, making them blush with pride.

The two friends briefly shook hands, but it was obvious to everyone but Ron that they needed some time to re-adress that evening with each other.

Harry's head was reeling with all the events had not known of. Slytherin heroes?

He made a mental note to thank the Slytherins later. It had to be difficult fighting, knowing that there was no retreat. Maybe there was hope for Slytherin house after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter two: **Where credit is due

Harry was ready when the curator called him up to speak, more so than Ron who was only able to wave and stammer out a weak cheer. "Dumbledore's army!" It still got a warm return as most of the crowd and all of the D.A. shouted it back.

Hermione was just as nervous, stuttering a little as she thanked several authors for the information that helped the three of them stay ahead of the Deatheaters. Harry smiled to himself when he thought of the books, most so old the author was bound to have died of old age.

Harry was glad that the curator had called his friends forward first. Too often, his friends were passed over for their sacrifices when he was in the area. Unfortunately it also gave him time to see the ocean of faces looking up at them.

Suddenly Hermione was done and he was up. He walked up to the podium as slowly as he could, not sure if he could speak until he looked down at Ginny who smiled warmly up at him. The speech he planed was only half used as he thanked all the people who kept faith in him and apologized for the loss of loved ones and friends. The bit about loss made him want to look at Misses Weasely, Ron and Ginny, yet he knew that he would loose the little bit of control he was managing to hold on to.

He was surprised by how much it hurt, after all the funerals he had attended, to speak of them with so many people who were still reeling from their own loss.

The experience did not get easier as the crowd went to their feet, many shedding their own tears and applauding for him. He glanced down at Misses Weasely and the lump in his throat got bigger as she burst into tears and charged up the stairs to hug him. He buried his face in her shoulder and wept silently as he tried to apologize to her. Misses Weasely managed to pull Hermione into the hug as well, making her break down as well. The crowd only clapped louder.

Harry made a semi successful effort to control himself and pulled off Molly's shoulder long enough to get the curator to take over. He was still to insecure with his feelings to let loose in front of Ginny, not to mention over three hundred people.

They all had to put up with interviews from the press. Reeta was there, trying to get special treatment due to her experience with the three. She lost a bit of steam as Hermione pinned her with a look. "We will do a group interview or none at all." Some of the reporters turned to Harry to see if this was the case, getting a nod from him and Ron..

Harry had given one exclusive, to Luna's father for his support in the past.

Once free from the press, they mingled with the crowd until they found a way to sneak off. Harry was about to get back to where he left off with Ginny, when Nearly Headless Nick came up to them and made a little bow. "I am terribly sorry to interrupt, but you are all requested to come to the great hall for a private ceremony."

Inwardly, Harry was grinding his teeth. "Can't it wait?"

Nick smiled pleasantly after answering. "No Mr. Potter, it can not wait."

Finding no way to argue, Harry let nick lead them to the hall where all the staff and the order of the phoenix stood amongst the tables. To make a long story short, they were presented to something called the secret order of defense, led by one James Weatherwood, who presented them with awards and three thousand Galleons each.

Harry was surprised to find Neville standing in the same line as them. For that matter, Neville looked just as puzzled.

Neville was presented with the same medal and gold. "This is for your gallant defense of fellow students, keeping hopes up while the Deatheaters held your school." James told him. He had a suit on rather than robes like a normal wizard, complete with bow tie. His brown hair was a bit long for a grown man and he had a shadow of a beard forming along his jaw. Not as clean cut as Harry would have expected for a wizard giving away medals.

James waved his wand and a sparkling dome enclosed the five of them. "The money is for the recovery and destruction of the Horcruxes." His eyes were the darkest brown when he looked from one to the other, making sure they met his eyes. "It is in your best interests that you keep that name to your selves."

Neville looked confused at the name, but when he tried to ask a question James raised a finger to stop him. "If you don't know, don't ask." Harry wasn't sure, but he thought that the wizard had been mustache free a moment ago. He now had a thin, black line above his lip and was wearing glasses that he had not had a moment ago. This man gave Harry the creeps.

Once out of the hall, Hermione waved a Galleon in front of His eyes before he could more than put an arm around Ginny. "We promised a D.A. meeting after the ceremony."

His own coin went warm in his pocket and Harry resisted the urge to grab Ginny and disapperate. This was going to be the longest day of his life! All of his frustration drained out of him as he saw a small student drag his father out of the mass of mingling people in the courtyard and point towards them. What must be his mother, followed with an angry look on her face.

Mr. Creavy was clearly a muggle. He had a slacks and a button up on with a clip on tie that looked old and dusty. He had darker hair than his family and although taller than them, he could not be much more than five and a half feet tall. "So these are the friends." His voice was deeper than Harry would have expected and he had gray in his Hair that looked premature. He smelled like corn chips and nice cologne.

"We're in the D.A. together, they're the founders." Dennis said cheerily. He failed to spot the look on his mother's face. She was frowning at all of them, but Harry was sure that the daggers of her look were all for him.

Harry tried not to see the blame in her eyes. "Did you get the _signal_?" He flashed his coin to Dennis.

Dennis winked at him and showed Hermione that he knew it was her who made them.

"No." Her voice descended on them like a shadow, taking the light from their mood. It was Mrs. Creavy, her eyes closed possibly to keep from shouting. "He will not be pulled back into the very group that killed Collin." She opened her eyes and looked right at Harry who had trouble returning her gaze.

An image resurfaced in Harry's mind of a tiny, lifeless body being lifted over a student's shoulder to be placed along side so many other lifeless bodies. He had no words for this.

Hermione tried to speak, tried to say something, but she was drawing the same blank.

Mrs. Creavy grabbed her sons hand and dragged him away. His father spread his hands before them. "His death hit her hard, don't hold this against her." He took a step back before leaving. "For what it's worth, I don't blame you or the D.A., it was that berk and his cronies." He ran off with an apologetic look and dashed after his family.

Harry watched them go with mixed emotions. Part of him did blame himself, especially for Collin, but he had done all that he could to stop the violence. Didn't he give up his life for the greater good? That thought brought a shiver. That was what Doumbledor said when he was young.

They left the area, aware that a lot of people were watching them. "I think I understand your hatred of the lime light." Ron commented as the crowd stared, some of them with less than warm expressions.

Soon they were at the entrance to the room of requirement, surrounded by D.A. and order members. Ron pulled out the bank note to look at it for the fourth time. "Any chance I can skip the meeting?"

Hermione frowned at him. "You are a founder of this establishment Ronald, they deserve your attendance."

Ron gave her an incredulous look. "It's a defense club Hermione, not a foundation." He turned back to his receipt with a longing look. Harry thought that the Chudlie Cannon merchandise firm was about to get a boost in sales.

He wanted to be enjoying his return to Hogwarts, yet the voice of Collin's mother was worming its way into Harry's mood.

Without warning, Harry's glasses were lifted off his face. "You have a stray lash." That from a blurry Ginny, with her hand reaching for his eye. Her hand smelled of lavender soap.

He nearly missed the look Ginny shared with Hermione before they went in. It looked like something had slid past him when he wasn't looking.

They were all afraid that the room would be destroyed or badly damaged by the fire. Evidently the founders had built the room with all dangers in mind, for the room was in perfect form. It was also holding a lot of people, one of which was George Weasely.

Harry called to George, glad to see his friend outside of battles for their lives. He was a bit put off by the way George nearly fell as he whipped around to see who was calling. Lee Jordan was with him. He grabbed his friends arm to steady him in a practiced sort of way.

"Hey Harry, good to be back here." He gestured around the room, waving a flask in his left hand. He saw Harry look at it and tucked it away without an explanation.

They talked for a bit, more and more people joining until Harry could not do anything but nod. Ron laughed as he realized that he and Hermione were also getting overwhelmed. His laugh sounded off. Harry was sure the flask had not been missed by Ron either.

Miss McGonigal called for attention next to a table with a large stack of badges on it. The unruly group quieted and came over to finger the badges before she swatted a few hands. "Wait until you have been informed." She gave a mildly stern look to Harry and Ginny who had nabbed the chance to get a kiss in.

"These badges are in addition to the awards you are to receive for fighting for hogwarts. The staff and I are very proud of you all for your dedication in studies of an academic nature in these trying times." Mrs. McGonigal waited stern faced. When every one just looked at each other, she continued. "That was a teacher's joke. We are really proud of you for taking it upon your selves to ready defenses against the coming storm which was Voldimorte."

The students smiled thinly at the joke. "Miss Granger, the ledger if you please?"

Hermione handed over the recovered sheet of paper that held the original list of the D.A. members. Before McGonigal could do anything else, a ruckus came from the door to the room. Dennis Creavy and his father came bustling into the room, Dennis announcing that he was present.

"Sorry we're late, we had to convince mum to let us go." Dennis was nearly out of breath; still he looked better than his father who was sporting a fat lip and the remains of a bloody nose.

Mr. Creavy smiled sheepishly. "She had a lot to say in her defense."

Mrs. McGonigal eyed the two as if they were late for class and looked like she was going to speak when Dennis interrupted her again. "Can my dad join?" Both Creevys looked hopefully back at her. "I could be a sort of muggle go between." Added his father.

The normally stern face softened as she smiled slightly to them. "I was about to join myself, but you will have to ask the founders if this is an action they would allow."

The three looked at each other and shrugged. Hermione stepped forward to take back the ledger. "It's fine by us, how bout you Neville, Ginny?"

The two had similar looks of mild surprise, Neville nodded, as Ginny answered. "Works for us too."

The badges were handed out until there were three left, all much tinier than the others. These were added to the photos of the students who had died during the battle, by professor McGonigal and Hermione, making the badges pin themselves to Collin, Fred, and a girl that Harry recognized from her funeral photo.

The members gathered in the middle of the room, George holding Fred's photo, Collin's going to Dennis. Both looked a bit disturbed holding a reminder of a lost brother. Harry saw McGonigal turn a blind eye to George taking a pull off his flask.

Harry had a mad urge to sign Collin's picture, but thought it would be inconsiderate to the situation. He made a mental note to ask Mr. Creavy after the photos.

Seconds after their picture was taken, Harry spotted a new plack on the wall. Ron joined him in approaching it and they both froze in disgust.

_In memory of a good student led astray. Vincent Crabb._

"Led astray. Hrmmph! More like led the way." Ron sounded like he was resisting the urge to spit.

After several mentions of a reason to be in there, Harry reluctantly told them to pair up for shield and disarming spells. He doubted that Neville would be left without a partner after his work keeping the D.A alive. He was surprised to turn from the gaggle of girls trying to join Neville, to see that he was being squared up with his former transfiguration teacher.

"It looks as if it is you and I, Mr. Potter. I will defend first." Professor McGonigal took a fighting stance and gave him a bow, which he returned. He had never dueled with a teacher before, if he was to choose a first it would not have been this one. Harry emptied his mind and prepared himself, this should be interesting.

All the noise of the other duelers disappeared into the background as Harry shot his first spell at McGonigal to have it deflected before it was out of his mouth. He chose to keep moving, maybe he could catch he off guard.

Harry's seventh spell was answered with one of McGonigal's. He dodged that one by inches and found himself on the defensive, yellow and blue spells all around him. He whirled and weaved, always faster and faster. He tried to get a shot of his own in, but was given no opportunity.

Sweat was pouring out of him as spell after spell shattered his shields and forced him to dodge. In desperation he reached for the wand he had taken from a Deatheaters to get an edge. His phoenix wand was blown out of his hand just before he touched the other, so he whipped the other forward and scored a hit with his disarming spell.

Mrs. McGonigal looked shocked at the appearance of the new wand. Even more shocked was Harry, looking at his hand which was already held in her bony grip. She had moved so fast that he had had no time to cast another spell.

The clatter of their wands sounded loud to Harry and he looked around to see that all of the students were watching them, a dozen shield charms keeping them safe from the two duelers.

Mrs. McGonigal released his hand and bowed to him to show that the duel was over. "That was an excellent bit of fighting Mr. Potter." She took her hat an inch off her head. "And that is the first time in a long while that a student has gotten the better of me. Actually that _was_ the first time." She added the last bit over her glasses.

The watching students put away their wands and clapped, cheering for Harry. "She let you win." Ron told Harry as he clapped him on the back.

A stern voice made Ron wince. "I did not let him win Mr. Weasely. Perhaps you would like to try your luck?" McGonigal had returned to give Harry his wand back. "Next time Mr. Potter, no back up wands." Their former teacher went off then to have a word with Mr. Creavy whose eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head.

"You were a very good teacher Harry." Hermione told a stumped Harry. "That and you dueled several times with a certain dark wizard."

The four mingled for a while until Harry found an excuse to sneak off, pulling Ginny by the hand out the door. "I have one more stop before we go. Hopefully we can hang out a bit before you go home."

"Kiss me now, just in case." Ginny said as she pulled his head down.

They were so rapped up in the kiss that they did not hear the door open behind them. The voice of Harry's former transfiguration teacher snapped them back to reality. "More snogging?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3 still a friend

Harry left Ginny to her family and went towards the headmaster's office. Minerva gave him the password for the gargoyle so he could get to Dumbledore without having to guess this time.

As Harry was leaving, the photos of the deceased students were brought out. He tried to keep his spirit up, but Fred's smile and wink were too much for him. Harry gave his friend a wave and rushed off trying not to run.

Once the others were lost far back in another part of the castle Harry sagged against the wall. Collin's mother, Fred's drinking, and the faces of his dead friends were weighing heavily on his shoulders.

A muffled shout brought Harry from the brink of tears. He sprinted up the stairs and burst into Dumbledore's office. The sight of Dumbledore's portrait on the wall reminded Harry that this was now McGonigal's office.

Professor Dumbledore lowered the hands he was waving at an irate looking witch. The irritated look on his face changed to almost relief as the old headmaster looked at his former student. "Harry Potter. To what do I owe this very timely visit?"

Harry couldn't help but be cheered as his friend beamed at him from his frame. Somehow he was already set at ease by that smile. "I don't want to interrupt anything." Actually he was ready to do just that.

"You are only interrupting a discussion that we have all night to argue over." The former headmaster gave a half wink as his fellow former headmasters began to bluster.

"Potter has had more than his fair share of time with you Dombledore. He is here as a guest and should not even been allowed access to this office." The hair on the back of Harry's neck stood up as the voice made him turn to his side. Severus Snape was frowning darkly down at Harry from his frame.

"Snape? What are you doing here?" Harry asked incredulously. Why would this fool be here in a place of honor? Harry knew that his former teacher had done a lot for the order, but none of the other members were here.

Snape rolled his eyes and leaned back on to his emerald green chair. "Insolence from a Potter, what a surprise."

"_Professor_ Snape was headmaster for much of this past school year, Harry. He has earned his place." Dumbledore was doing a fine job of ignoring Harry's shaking head.

Harry could think of nothing to say to this new horror so he went off the subject. "Could we…uh talk alone?"

Dumbledore gave him a bit of a knowing smile and gestured to the door. "I will meet you in the lumber yard picture at the foot of the stairs."

Harry nearly stumbled down the steps. It bugged him that the man who did so much to ruin Harry's life was placed in a spot of honor. He was done calling that man sir, even after the trip into Snape's memories. All those memories had shown was that he had been in love with Harry's mother. He may have not wanted her to die, but what about his dad? He had done nothing but run his name into the ground and take his vengeance on Harry, as if the loss of his father due to Snape's informing was not enough. He was the one who made it so Sirius was forced to stay in hiding. It was he who delayed Harry so that Crouch could kill his own father. Only Voldimorte himself had done more to ruin Harry's life.

By the time he got to the painting he was feeling a much different bunch of feelings. It was an effort to keep his mind on what he had come to say.

"May I assume that you are coming to me about the feelings of guilt you are experiencing after the terrible ordeal that you have suffered threw?" Dumbledore showed no sign that he knew what Harry had thought on the way down, yet he had soothed him like he always did; by putting Harry's problems into a perspective that changed the way he looked at a situation.

"I…uh yeah, I guess so." Harry was loosing anger fast looking at his friend sitting on a huge fallen tree. How could he remain mad when Dumbledore, who had done so much to help Harry, was both in front of him and out in his final resting place?

"Harry, I should not have to tell you this, you were the victim in this, not the aggressor. No one blames you for what has happened. Quite the opposite, they feel that you were the hope that held them all together."

Harry pictured the face of Collin's mother and thought that there might be others who had felt similar things of himself. He hoped that Dumbledore would think that the shadow that crossed his face was related to something else.

Dumbledore walked closer to Harry to make sure he saw the seriousness in his face. "Perhaps you feel that you waited too long before going into the woods to face Voldimorte. Harry, who else would have gone in at all? For the last three years I was tied in knots over what was to be your fate. Weather or not you would go to face him, even with the knowledge of the need for your sacrifice, I never doubted."

The old headmaster spread his hands and gave a sheepish smile. "Well, when I put myself in that position I admit that there was a little doubt, but as I told you before, you are a far greater man than I could ever have been so the doubt was miniscule."

Harry forced his way into the conversation. "I did doubt, I did hesitate professor! I dragged my feet the whole way and…if not for my parents…my mother…" Harry let the sentence fall and looked aimlessly around the hallway.

Unseen by Harry, Dumbledore's face paled at the mention of his former student's parents. He had not been told how the event had unfolded; he knew only that he had succeeded and that the wand and stone would be disposed of.

"I had hoped that you would have used the stone to see your parents Harry." The old headmaster sank back down to his tree. "I personally could not bring my self to try after the disastrous last attempt." Dumbledore held up the hand that had been withered by Voldimorte's curse on the ring that held the stone. "Of course, the real reason why I did not use it, you can probably guess."

Harry nodded solemnly. He remembered well the conversation about Dumbledore's sister and the way she had died. Personally he would have tried, but he had never had a sister and was glad he had not been in a similar situation.

"They came at just the right time." Harry looked out the nearby window towards the woods as he talked. "Just as you planned." The last bit he said almost too quite to hear. There were so many times that he had needed help, needed someone to just be there. To be honest to himself, he had to admit that it was what he had wanted most of his whole life. "They came when I truly needed them the most and gave me the courage to keep going."

Harry had turned back to Dumbledore when he said this, a sad smile on his face. It felt good to be talking to his old headmaster even if it was to his memory on canvas, yet for just a moment he wished his parents had been able to do this instead. It would have been wonderful to grow up with at least that much comfort in his dreadful upbringing, still could he have walked into that forest having spent his childhood knowing them? Would that have been too little at that moment to give him the strength to go on? The scariest question was would he have cared with such a prospect of talking every day to his parents, spending time with them, even in this form.

Like shaking off a dizzy spell, Harry threw the doubt aside. The answer was yes, he had not been strong due to his lack of parents and he would have gone on even with them. He went on for the sake of the world and thought that many people would have done the same.

He did not explain his comment or the thoughts that must have showed on his face when he had pondered it a moment before. He doubted that the clever old man would have needed it. "Sorry that they had no message to send you, but we were pressed for time."

The gentle jest made Dumbledore smile for a moment before his face became somber. "Something tells me that we have plenty of time to catch up Harry."

The two chatted for a while once Harry's doubts were set at ease, before Harry promised to come back another time and left to rejoin his friends.

They enjoyed the rest of their time before dinner, snogging free due to misses Weasely. Harry did manage a last kiss before they left for their separate homes and also slipped a small bag into misses Weasely's hand when they hugged their goodbyes, whispering that it was for Ginny's dress. He had wanted to try to get Hermione to go with Ginny to get it, but didn't want her to know it was from him.

In hind sight, Harry thought that Ginny's mother might get her a nun's habit, but he kept his fingers and toes crossed.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4 Letters from the past

Just as Harry was asking Neville and the other D.A. founders to dinner, Ginny turned red and admitted that she had invited the same people to their date. "I was so rapped up in the D.A. meeting that it sort of popped out." Ginny tried a winning smile to soften the blow, stopping his protests.

Inward he was really bummed, but he kept it from coming to his face. "I'm still reeling from how fast I got you back, so I guess I'll take what I can get."

Sadly, that was not the end of his dinner troubles. Hearing of the dinner date, Hermione told her parents and then invited them along. She had just gotten back from retrieving them with Ron in Australia. "I can't see a reason to exclude them." Harry was going to have a nasty surprise for Creature when he got home.

Before Harry could even approach the owlry he was caught by McGonigal. "Ah, there you are Mr. Potter. I heard about the dinner plans with your friends and family and I have a suggestion. With all the parents there I suggest that you have it here."

Harry resisted asking her what she was talking about, he just assumed that the tiny plan for dinner had now snowballed into a full fledge party. A tiny voice in his head told him that there was a bright side; with all the people there he could manage to steal Ginny away for a stroll on the grounds.

"There are a lot of the people you invited here now so it should be easy to get them to agree to the new location." The new headmaster looked towards the great hall and then towards her former student's robes. "It will be a somewhat formal dinner Potter, but I think you should wear something that does not remind the guests of…recent engagements."

Harry quite agreed and sent an owl to Creature before heading to a fire place to go to Diagon alley. With any luck he would be able to burn these stupid robes once he got home.

Once he had arrived, Harry went strait to the muggle clothes store to buy a few needed items for a semi-formal party. He made sure to get something snazzy for his date, thoughts of Ginny and what she would be wearing gave him a mix of feelings. Was it a good idea to send Misses Weasely for the dress? Would it be something that was fit for a nun in training? Misses Weasely _had_ given them her blessings, but Ginny was her _only_ daughter. After buttoning his shirt all the way missing the first button slot he decided to let the situation resolve as it would. She would look good in a habit or a mystery gown.

On his way out with his two outfits, he spotted a picture of an old wizard and thought of Dumbledore. It would have been great to have his old headmaster there to join in. He was lost in an idea that was leading in a different direction when he realized that he was being surrounded by people on the street who had recognized him.

The crowd was about to spout a lot of talk of congratulations and such when an old man Harry recognized as Redge from when he had broken into the ministry spoke up forcing a path for Harry to escape threw. "Give the lad a break folks, he is clearly busy and has just gotten out of a meeting with the press."

Harry gave a grateful smile to the man. "Thanks Redge, good to see you made it out alright." He would have asked after the man's wife, but that would leave him open to the mob and their comments so he left it at that and rushed off down a side ally.

Two turns later, Harry found himself close to Knockturn Ally so, feeling that he had lost any pursuers; he turned back towards the shop that would contain much of what his new idea needed when a woman stepped in front of him.

"Mr. Potter." Her hair was a dark brown, pulled in a tight bun on the back of her head. She had robes that were dark blue and a brown shawl draped over her shoulders that she adjusted as she addressed him.

This strange woman, who had an accent he linked to Victor, appeared to be ready to let the silence stretch so he just nodded and attempted to go around her.

The woman put a thin hand out to bar his way and took a step back from him. "My usband…" She paused there for some reason, like she was newly wed and unused to saying _husband_. "My usband left some things with me that belonged to your mother. If you wait here I vill fetch them." Without waiting for his answer she aperated away with a snap.

Harry had been tricked, trapped, and hunted for much too long for him to just wait in this side ally for a woman he did not know so he high tailed it out of there.

He was passing the entrance to the bank when she stepped out of a door way ahead of him holding a bundle of some old looking papers, half of which looked burned.

"These vere written by your mother long ago when she and my usband vere young friends at hogwarts." She looked like the explanation was an admittance of guilt and that the letters were a dirty bit of evidence. She thrust the bundle towards him, just short of tossing it.

The lure of something from his mother was strong, but Harry was leery of touching anything from a stranger. "I appreciate the offer miss, but I can't just accept the word of a stranger off the street."

Harry made to move past and the woman slapped the letters against his chest, looking startled at the wand now against her neck. "He said you vere an arrogant fool. These are not a trap, foolish boy." She backed away, hands in the open and turned to stalk away looking angry.

Harry looked down at the old, wrinkled papers and tucked his wand away. The feeling that the pages were sinister lingered so he placed them in the bag atop his dress robes. He wanted to look at them, but resisted until he could get Hermione to give them a once over.

Movement around him told Harry that he was getting surrounded again and that it was past time for him to return to Hogwarts for the party.

Back at Hogwarts, Harry hung his bag of clothes on a visitors hook and out of habit placed a protective charm on it. The letters were pulling at his curiosity so he rushed in to find Hermione, finding himself in the midst of what appeared to be a teacher's private party.

"Mr. Potter," McGonigal stated warmly as he tried to take a step backwards. "You are the first to arrive." She gave the burned letters a glance causing him to draw them closer to his chest. He wanted them checked for curses and the like, not taken apart like his Firebolt had been in his third year. He didn't think he could wait two weeks to read them.

"Really?" He asked, looking around. "I thought I was going to be late." He had stayed much longer than he had wanted to in Diagon ally. A small spike of fear forced its way into his expectations for the evening.

McGonigal's second glance and gesture towards a dustbin made Harry sigh and hold them out for her to see. "A woman… forced these on me in Diagon Ally. She claimed that my mother had written them for her husband." Harry readied himself for the ridicule of being unsafe.

His formal teacher brought the letters very close to her face; much like Dumbledore did in that cave of Riddle's. She had her wand out, the bundle floating in front of her. "Prophessor Flitwick, could I get a second opinion over here please?" She called over her shoulder without taking her eyes off the letters. "I can see no obvious dangers here, but I don't like the manor of how Mr. Potter received these letters."

The short form of old prophessor Flitwick shuffled over to them and McGonigal lowered it down so he could see them. Harry's former teacher took a pair of old, dark sunglasses from inside his robes and placed them on over his normal glasses. Harry waited for the professor to wave his wand or reach towards the letters, but he just stood there stock still, staring at them. He looked closer at the glasses and saw that the letters were the only thing in the room being reflected in the lenses. While he watched, the letters removed themselves from their envelope and unfolded. A heartbeat later they snapped back into place.

"There is no sign of a curse or enchantment on them that I can see." Professor Flitwick took a gulp from his goblet and raised his glass to them before walking off, the glasses still on giving him the look of an old hippy.

A house elf zoomed up to them, a tray of similar goblets held above its pointed ears. "A festive drink sir and madam?" The school elf asked in his chipper, high voice.

Harry smelled wine punch and arched an eye at his former head of house.

"It is a party Harry, and you are of age so…" McGonigal demonstrated what she was about to say by lifting a goblet and taking a generous gulp. As she swallowed she gestured to the door where Ron and Hermione were coming in. "Take some time to catch up with your friends; we will be making a toast to you all when every one is here."

Harry realized that his former teacher had called him by his first name. Something she rarely did. He smiled into his cup while waving his friends over and took a drink. When he glanced down at the top letter he sputtered, nearly dribbling down his front as he reread the person who was to receive the letter. Severus Snape.

"What's up Harry?" Ron asked, Hermione on his arm looking pretty in a set of almost muggle styled dress robes.

Harry held out the first letter and looked at the next. When the dark lord had killed Lilly Potter he had told Severus that there were better women, but Harry hadn't thought that Snape had actually followed up on the offer. Had Harry just met the secret wife of Severous Snape?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5 The wrong Weasely

Harry had to fill in the others about the witch who had given him the letters and what she had said. Hermione looked as if she were going to point out that the letters could have been cursed so he blurted out that they had been checked to get her to give some input on what really mattered.

"I had no idea, but it makes sense." Hermione was reading the first letter as she elaborated. "He might not have been too apposed to having a witch who could not run from him."

"I could see where that could work." Ron was giving Harry a sly smile when Hermione gave him a withering look that wiped the smile off his face. "That is to say, as a cover." He offered weakly.

Harry was surprised enough to be interested at first, but now he could not help but push questions of Snapes's wife aside to focus on the letters themselves. When they were hiding out in the Black house he had been overcome with feelings when he had found his mother's letter in Sirius's Room. He was still reeling from the find of so many pages of her words, yet it did not hold the thrill of the first one. He guessed it was because he had so little to do in those boring days.

"There is a strange lady watching you Harry." Ron was looking, eyebrows raised, at a young woman who was approaching.

It took a moment for Harry to recognize the woman. She had a fashionable tan dress on with a high stone set neck that left her arms bare and stopped below the knee. Ginny was holding a small matching hand bag with a similar stone, her hair up in an intricate bun. She stopped and gave a spin, grinning excitedly. "Do you like it?" Ginny asked in a rush. "I couldn't choose which version to wear first."

He went on starring, only able to get a few words out. "Like it? Versions?" He gave a shake and took her hands. "You look great and as to version, good choice." He had no idea what version it could have been other than this, but didn't care to ask her to elaborate. The letters laid forgotten on a table for the rest of the evening.

Harry felt so content, so full of warmth, that he doubted that he had more than touched the pavement on his walk home. Ginny had made him feel so at ease that he felt as if they had never broken up. "And tomorrow we have another date!" He shouted to no one and everyone.

Creature was still up when he got home, but Harry sent him off to sleep. He was in too good of a mood for company right now. Well, he had to admit that a certain red haired girl would be most welcome at this moment. He tried to go to sleep, it was after twelve, but he was too wound up. An hour on his new broom, under his father's old cloak, was just what he needed.

It was still very late when Harry got in and he was no sooner in bed when Ginny asked his opinion on her new swimsuit. "It was originally a two piece, but I bought it in Brazil so…" She was hidden behind a door as she tried it on. Some how, the building was on a beach, feet from the shore. As she stepped out from behind the door, Creature walked between them pulling a donkey. "Master has a visitor." Creature croaked.

Very disappointed, Harry tried desperately to get around the donkey. "I know Creature now move!" The donkey some how remained in his way and his house elf was grabbing his arm and shaking it.

Harry jerked awake, pulling his arm out of Creature's grasp he looked bleary eyed around the room for Ginny. He was quite alone. No Ginny, No donkey, just Creature. "Master has a visitor." Creature repeated. To his credit, Creature did looked regretful for waking Harry.

Harry scooped his glasses off the dresser, letting his legs over the edge of the bed. He waited until his house elf left before standing up in his pajamas. No reason to show how good of a dream he had interrupted.

Robe and slippers on, Harry went down to see who was visiting at this early hour. The thought that it might be Ginny woke him up a bit and hurried him down the steps. He barely had time to freshen his breath with his wand before answering the door.

To his surprise it was the wrong Weasely. "Good morning Harry." Percy Weasely was standing on the front steps, two giant duffle bags on the steps beside him. He handed one of the bags to Harry and hefted the other over his shoulder. The ministry has received all these over the last two weeks, some of it from as long as four months ago."

Harry led Percy in wondering what he meant. What had the ministry received that pertained to him? As they got the door closed he reached into the bag he had hefted and pulled out a few envilopes. For a second he thought that they were more letters from his mom, but they were signed with different names. "What is this all about?"

"Fan letters and the like I suspect. We had to remove a few curses and sinister substances, but they should be safe enough to open." Percy accepted a cup of tea from Creature and shook his head to an offer of some breakfast.

Harry tried to pick the bag up one armed and could barely manage an inch. It would take him the rest of the year to read all of these. "Um, thanks Percy. You could have just had me come into the office to get these." Unless some of these were sent by the same person, he must have received a letter from half of England.

Percy swallowed a piece of toast with egg on it as he waved a hand. "It was no trouble Harry. I had another reason to come so I made the most of the visit." He reached into a pocket and handed a formal looking letter to Harry.

Harry read half the letter which concerned his godfather and stopped before he had fully read it. "Did they just say what I think they said!" He stood up and knocked his chair over, coming around the table he pointed to the letter for Percy to see.

Percy nodded without reading it. He must have been informed of the contents or he would have jumped up as well. "Yes they did. For the improper imprisonment of your godfather he, or apon his death his next of kin is to receive one hundred and eleven thousand gallions and ten sickles as compensation for thirteen years of wrongful persicution of said wizard and so on."

Harry went to sit back down and Creature was just able to get the chair back up before he fell over it. "What…who…why now?" This was a lot to take in so early in the morning. The injustice of what had happened to Sirius had always put Harry's hackles up, but he never expected Fudge to do anything about it. Well Skrimjaw was minister now. Kingsley, he was the minister now. Harry had to school his face to keep the rush of fond feelings for his fellow order member from showing on it.

Percy wasn't showing the slightest surprise at Harry gaining such a vast amount of gold. Harry was glad to see that he wasn't jealous of it either. "The former ministers were hesitant to admit to such a blunder, since it would have been coupled with a lack of success stopping the death eaters." He tucked into the breakfast provided by Creature as he continued. "I'm sure that fudge saw his mistake as a stain on his honor. Professor Snape's accusation of Sirius was probably the cause for him to question the obvious innocence of your godfather."

Harry was still mulling over the belated justice for his godfather so he let Percy's last comments go without a word. He knew quite well that Fudge was a bumbling fool and Snape's lies were what kept them apart in his last years. He doubted that Percy ever gave Fudges misgivings over the matter a second thought. In Percy's mind fudge was correct in every thing he did or said. "I'm not sure that I want that money Percy. A hundred and eleven thousand sounds somewhat fair, but when I think of what he went threw only to get rewarded after his death it just feels tainted."

"Don't be so quick to dismiss this money Harry. The minister is sympathetic to not only Sirius and his suffering, but yours as well. He knows the score when it comes to your family." He scooped his egg onto the last of the toast and ate it in two bites.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 a spot of evil

Harry Shut the door behind Percy and smiled at the changes that had taken place in his least favorite Weasely. He may have been years older than himself, but Harry felt that Percy had finally reached a maturity to match.

Sitting down to finish his tea, Harry found a key where his plate had been. He picked it up and looked at the odd shape, noting the Black family crest on the handle. "Creature, is this the key to the front door you've given me?" He doubted that even as turned it to see the horse shoe end which clearly did not go to the door of which he already had a key.

Creature became quite still and then turned from the dishes to face his new master. "Master holds the key to the secret rooms of the house of the Black family." His croaky voice did not hold even a bit of the shame it should have for holding out on his master's possetions. "This is now the… the Potter family house." The house elf sounded as if such a thing should not be possible. He gave Harry a bow and went back to his work on the dishes. To Harry's surprise, Creature was washing the dishes by hand when normally he would have spelled them clean. Was this a sign of respect or was the house elf mocking his muggle upbringing? He would have to ask Hermione or Ron to be sure.

He left the house elf to tending the house for now and went to take a shower. The rooms that were previously hidden from him sounded worthy of a look, maybe a peek at one before he got busy with his new project would not take so long as to make work impossible. Actually now that he thought about it, the money from Sirius being wrongfully accused could make his plan work much better and put the money to a good cause. Somehow the dream of Ginny still had room in his thoughts with all that was going on that morning. _Stupid punctual Percy!_

By the time Harry was finished with getting ready it was nearly ten so he called Creature to him in the hall. "Master?" The house elf asked, hands together in a respectful manner.

"I would like to see one of the rooms before I go out. Which one would be the … ah quickest?" He was in a hurry, yet didn't want to offend the odd elf.

Creature tilted his big ear head and gestured to the stairs of which Harry had just ascended. "The observatory would be the smallest and Creature could have it ready in moments."

"After you." Harry said, stepping aside to let the old elf by. He let the elf get ahead of him so he could clean the room while Harry climbed, the house elf taking the stairs two at a time, puffing as he left the scent of lemon dish soap behind him. His mind was only half on the secret room; he was making a list of items and their possible prices for the project which was quickly becoming less of a possibility and more of a certainty.

At the top of the stairs Creature ran into the main bedroom of which Harry currently held as his own. He had been asleep in there just hours before while a hidden room was feet away. What if it led outside and a dark wizard had found it? That would have been a much less pleasant wake up than Creature's untimely calling. _Stupid house elf messed up a Brazilian bathing suit dream!_

Harry wiped his angry thoughts away and followed Creature into his room. After checking the closet and giving the wall a tap he sat on the bed and waited for Creature to come out. _No sense in rushing him._

Something bumped into the bedroom door and closely was followed by Creature. Harry, who had been facing the closet, saw that there was a door behind his bedroom door which Creature closed so it faded into the wall. "To enter master must bounce the door into the wall like so." Creature bounced the door off the wall and where the knob hit, a small disk appeared, disappearing after a few seconds. "Master takes his key and taps the tone disk." The house elf stepped aside and gestured to the wall.

Harry took the key out and looked at the forked end. It did look like a toning hammer now that he knew what to look for. He hopped off the bed and gave the door a swing causing the circle to reappear. The key made no noise when it struck the disk, but the windows on his display cabinets vibrated loudly for the time it took for the door to appear. The door was made of the blackest oak and was smooth as a pool of still water, the knob a glass end of a telescope.

The handle did not turn, it just came forward as he pulled, showing him a dim room that brightened as he entered. The room smelled of cedar and sandal wood with an under tone of lemon. The light came from a model in the middle of the room like the sun coming up on a tiny city, showing him an open area with few trees, a sidewalk and some buildings that looked familiar. "Is this the surrounding neighborhood?" Harry asked over his shoulder keeping his eyes on the very detailed model.

"Yes master, the controls move the image up, down, and all around the Black…the Potter house." Creature moved next to Harry and touched a control making the model rotate to show the front of the house. A tiny figure was lowering its arm and then it disappeared with a flick of what must have been a tiny wand. The figure had clearly been right outside his front door.

With growing unease, Harry chose a control marked altitude and raised the model so he could see what he feared was in the sky. A green skull was spewing out a poisonous looking snake in an all too familiar image.

Harry whipped his wand out and turned on the spot. Nothing happened. He had forgotten that his house still had its protective spells on. "Creature, aperate me to the front steps." After a moment of looking at the house elf he flung his hand out. "Creature, please aperate me down there?" He was so charged up that his hand shook.

Creature, not used to jumping into action, timidly took the offered hand. "Master should not rush in." The elf grumbled, sounding genuinely concerned for Harrys well being.

For a brief moment Harry was blind and being pulled threw an invisible tube then he popped out at the front steps, Creature making a yellow shield in front of the two of them. Harry raked the area for the figure, his wand spitting a couple sparks due to his excitement. Creature's spell popped and he relaxed to his normal slouch. "There are no wizards about master." Both of them were looking at a scroll of paper lying where the unknown wizard had disaperated from.

Harry had to agree with his house elf; whoever cast the dark mark was far from here now. Harry grunted and cast his eyes to the green image above him. With an angry flick of his wrist he cast the counter spell. "Finetai incantatem." He made sure to keep his arm close to the steps so no one could spot him behind the houses protective charms. The snake made a satisfying death pose as the image faded.

Loud crack of aperition announced the arrival of several wizards, Mr. Weasely being the only one Harry recognized. Some of them ran towards the edge of the grass as others watched the rooftops, wands following eyes. One Witch reached for the scroll causing Harry and Mr. Weasely to shout together.

Mr. Weasely was the only wizard who didn't point his wand at the spot where Harry had shouted from. Granted, he was the only one in the group who was a secret keeper for Harry's home. "Harry, good to see you." His voice was relieved and he motioned him to follow as he approached the paper.

"I just missed the guy." Harry said as Mr. Weasely put an arm briefly around him. The hug was welcome, yet did little to sooth his nerves. "It looks like he left a message though." He was glad to hear that his voice did not hold the anger he was holding at bay. Someone was going to pay for this little prank. He was so hot that his scalp was starting to itch with sweat.

He refused to be overly cautious with this, but he decided to levitate the note instead of grabbing it. One of the wizards hissed as it rose towards Harry, a hand going out to stop him. His fellow Phoenix member surprised him and pushed the hand aside. "Harry will be careful Paul." Once the scroll was high enough he let it hang before them so that it was just readable.

_Harry, I am not _resting_ so why should you? V_


	8. Chapter 8 the big picture

Chapter 8 the big picture

In no time at all, Harry had as many visitors as he had at the party the night before. Ron and Hermione arrived with Mrs. Weasely shortly after the ministry group; followed closely by the rest of the Weaselys and a few order members.

Ginny pushed past Ron and Hermione to give Harry a hug and jumped into questions before he registered how nice her hair smelled. "Did they get into the house? How many were there? Why cast the mark if no one died?" She looked him up and down as she pulled away; searching for burn marks or blood.

Ron just smiled behind her with only a little of the worry it had held a moment before. Hermione had to step next to Ginny to see past Ginny to ask her own question. "Where is the note?"

Harry held up his hand and hastily put away the wand he was still holding. "There was only one of them and he never even got to the steps." He glanced at the sky where the mark had been before going on. "I guess they cast that to call me out to find the note." He turned with effort from Ginny's concerned face to look at Hermione. A sudden image of Ginny in a swimsuit shop made his face warm. "The ministry officials took the note; I could probably get it from them if…" He cut off as Hermione made a bee line for Mr. Weasely.

Ron was about to ask something when his family came over to give Harry a few words before they went back to what they were doing when the sign went up. He kept his question until they left which made Harry grateful. He was sure he was going to ask what the letter said; something he didn't want to answer in front of Mrs. Weasely.

It was twenty minutes later before he could tell Ron and Ginny what Hermione had obviously learned from Mr. Weasely about the note. "Someone is just trying to stir up trouble Harry; if you know who had survived somehow he would be here in person or more likely be in hiding." Hermione had anger in her voice, just not enough to say she had any doubt.

Harry had thought much the same, but it was good to hear from someone else. Having his friends around him due to such circumstances put Harry in the mood to conspire, to work as they did when they were on the run; the disturbing visit emphasizing the feelings. He was planning to work on his present for Dumbledore behind closed doors; a personal project that was going to be between two friends, but how could he exclude the people who were so willing to come to his aid? Once all the ministry people were gone he would bring them in on the project and they could gather the supplies together.

"Can't do it Harry, we have to get back to the Burrow." Ginny kissed him quickly when his face fell a bit. "Don't worry; I for one will be happy to help; starting tomorrow of course."

He turned to Ron who was shaking his head. "Sorry Harry, I told mum that I would help with lunch while she helped the girls."

The trip to town felt wrong now that his friends were invited, but could not attend the initiation of it. Without friends along he was sure that he would be overwhelmed by well wishers so he decided to bring his father's cloak along to insure a speedy purchase.

"Creature, I'm off to the ally so feel free to see your girlfriend or whatever." There was a loud crack behind him one second after the last word left his mouth, making Harry jump, wand out before he could think. "Don't do that after a…Creature?" He had turned to berate the house elf only to find that he was quite alone in the hall. With the thought of the threat still fresh in his mind a noise in an empty hall put him on edge. He was leery of calling Creature if there was an intruder so he kept his mouth shut.

The thought of his house elf reminded him of what he had said to the elf and he put the wand away; maybe the creepy old elf did have a girl friend. He would ask Hermione during their triple date tonight.

Harry arrived in diagon ally clean this time thanks to the floo cloak he took from the master bedrooms closet. He quickly pulled it off and donned the invisibility cloak.

After much dodging and weaving, Harry arrived at the shop that was most likely to have the supplies. The interior of the shop," Framed goods", was plastered with paintings, drawings and statues of people and strange places with rows of craft supplies on shoulder high shelves.

A muggle dressed man behind the counter leaned away from a clay sculpture that looked like a nifler and called out in answer to the bell on the back of the door. "You'll be taking that cloak off or you'll be spending the next hour frozen on a pedestal." He pointed towards the sign on the door which stated that thieves would end up as he had said.

The store was free of customers at this moment so he quickly reveled himself with a sheepish smile.

The man nodded to him sternly and half turned back to his work before his eyes went wide and he froze.

Harry felt horribly exposed like this so he went to the counter and told the man what he wanted. "I want to make a painting for someone who, uh…" It was hard to explain what he wanted, not just because he was dead, but because he wanted so much more than a simple painting. He did his best to explain what he wanted as the man's surprise at Harry being in his store changed to surprise at just how much he wanted in his painting.

The man wiped his hands clean on a rag and waved his wand to make another drop on his clay before answering his request. "It sounds like to me, uh Mr. Potter that you need the owner. I just do the counter work and your plan sounds out of my reach." He looked at a closed door with a clock on it and scratched his poorly shaven chin. "MR. Clevence is working at the moment on a similar project so we can't ask him for a while."

Mr. Clevence turned out to be a large man with peppered hair and beard, also dressed in muggle clothes. Harry had been looking at a book for large paintings and was ready to buy it when he was surprised by the store owner. "You are Potter yes?" He asked in a mild Russian accent.

The man's face was pock marked with small burns and scars which added to the menacing look he gave Harry. This wizard, if he was one, did not look pleased to see him. This man looked as if he was ready to throw him out of his store. "I am." He told him. It was odd to meet someone who knew his name, yet treated him as if it was of little importance.

The wizard pulled at the front of his flannel and it came right off along with the jeans he was wearing, revealing plain wizard robes. He grabbed the book out of Harry's hand and held it under Harry's nose. "This Painting you want will take more than a book to complete. This painting is too hard, too expensive for you." He tossed the book on a shelf and crossed his arms; looking at Harry.

Harry crossed his arms as well. This was more than just a whim for him. He wanted so much more than to honor a memory or make something pretty. He said as much to the man. "You say I need more than a book to make it. I have gold and friends and all the time I need to finish this so what else will I need?"

The wizard ran a hand threw his hair and looked closely at Harry's eyes, his voice going quiet. "You need pain and suffering and…" His eyes traveled to Harry's scar and his voice went even lower. "And you need to be driven."

In the end Harry got three notebooks of personal tips on loan, a fat stack of books, and a mountain of paint and gadgets. In all he had to make a transfer of over fifteen thousand galleons' of Sirius's imprisonment money. Harry felt the transfer like he was sending a friend to prison after the friend put his trust in him, but Sirius was going to be in this painting so he shook off the guilty feelings and tried to put it out of his mind. He had planned on using his own money anyway.

Harry got his supplies home and re-showered for the big date. He really wanted to get started, but there was some Hermione sized reading to do first. He had too little time for reading and had to admit that he was going to leave that part up to her so he got ready and slipped back into the model room to get rid of a nagging feeling he had of his front door being watched. He couldn't make up his mind if he was pleased or discouraged by the lack of lurkers when he checked.

As he went down the stairs he heard something bounce off the wall in the spare bedroom and a small bead rolled out of the open door. Harry went around the corner with a spell ready, wondering if it was an order member nosing around or something more sinister. Hermione's beaded bag was pulsing on the floor. He had remembered it after his first two trips from the painting shop and packed the last of the supplies into it to save time.

With a ripping of cloth and a grenade like explosion of beads the bag erupted books, paint, clothes, and pans onto the floor in a flood that nearly knocked him over. Harry bushed beads out of his hair and sighed at the tattered remains of the bag, sticking out from under a pile of books. "Hermione will not be pleased."


	9. Chapter 9 decidedly dottie

Chapter 9 decidedly Dottie

Creature's knees buckled and he clutched the banister to keep from falling to the floor. He was free to go to go to her! He had felt the calling of his to'vee over two decades ago, but had been forbidden by his former master; Mistress Black, to see her.

Two seconds had ticked by since he had been released from the restriction and his master was about to turn around! He would punish himself for the delay later; right now he had to go before this chance was wasted.

He wanted to aperate onto the porch, but he had been scalded by his to'vee so often that he had learned his place in _her _order of things. The walkway was dusty from lack of rain, yet the dust was pulled sideways from Creature's fast moving feet before it could settle on him. Dottie had always been an attentive house elf, even on the outside of her master's house.

The three level house was invisible from the road so no one would wonder why a house started so small on the bottom and grow as wide as it went up. Creature jumped up the steps, unable to hold in his excitement any longer. He stepped to the dark wood door with its small rainbow window and took a shiny walnut sized ball from a spiraling stone bowl. "Creature is here to invite his to'vee to join him in joint employment." He told the ball and dropped it into the matching tube. The ball disappeared into it and creature resisted the urge to peek into the window as he did so many times before. He knew the tube would release the ball into the house where it would sprout wings like a snitch and seek out the one named by the person at the door. Watching the ball never made it go any faster.

The wizened old elf began too rock on his heels, his hand twitching with the urge to knock. He became aware that he had been hearing the phonograph she often played with its odd muggle disks when the music suddenly cut off. _She's coming!_

The door opened moments after the music stopped and then she was before him, her slender ears like sevens and her red uniform crisp and wrinkleless. She did not exactly look at Creature with the stern aged face turned down as if to see if he had dirt on his feet. He thought that she had taken two or three seconds longer than she should have and gave a small wave to make sure his feet _were_ clean.

Creature forewent his normal deep breath when he first met her each visit; the almond cookie aroma was always around her, and bowed deeply to her. "My master has lifted the restriction; it is time to join employment." This was not really different from what he had told the door ball, but he was getting the creeping feelings of dismay that had never been far after what had happened to Master Regulus. Something bad was coming for him, he could almost smell it.

Dottie held her silence for a few more agonizing seconds and addressed Creature's feet in a chalky voice that was different from her normal mannerisms. "I…may not be able to join you Creature; my master…sent word that they could be coming back soon."

She was acting strangely. She was never indecisive in her speech patterns and always locked him in place with her eyes; they were some of her best qualities. This was a shaken Dottie. "Dottie's _former_ masters have past the seventh year. They gave up their right to Dottie's employment." Creature's shoulders were beginning to hunch. He did not believe that Dottie's former owners were coming back and he did not think she was being truthful to him about her reasons for not being able to come. That left just one reason for his to'vee's actions.

Dottie shook her head slowly, still not meeting his eyes. "I can't just walk away from my masters." She told the boards next to his feet.

His legs growing weak Creature took steps back from the other elf, dread making him wobbly. "It is not the masters, you are…" Creature stumbled down the steps backwards and looked up at Dottie, her hand going out as he fell. "…you do not want ..."

Creature got to his feet and wavered as he tried to get away from the house, away from Dottie's sad eyes. He stumbled a short way away until his legs gave in and he fell into the borrow, the tip of his ear dipping into a puddle and his nose pressed into the grass. He felt so distraught that he couldn't even move the grass from his eyes.

Dottie followed Creatures flight with her eyes. She was still in shock, she had lost hope that this day would ever come long ago. She had already accepted her fate and had made peace with life alone in her master's house. She had her muggle music collection and had even started playing the ancient piano that her masters had left. Things she would not have tried if her employers had stayed in the house, but she had her own life now. What if she accepted this impossible offer and the new master changed his mind? She was afraid to get hope again, it had been too hard to let go last time and now she had even more to lose.

Creature's cries were quietly coming from the ditch and they pulled at her heart like jagged hooks. He was her to'vee after all. She took heavy slow steps towards the weeping elf and knelt next to him, almost placing a hand on his shoulder. She sat there for a while unable to form the words she knew she would eventually say. Finally she did place a shaky hand on him. "I have had… no word from my masters. I... I don't know what is holding me back Creature, but it is not you." The words came out as if dragged.

Creature struggled to his knees, his back to her. He was just as afraid as she was, if for different reasons. "It has been too long." He pulled grass up in his tiny fists. "You have given up on Creature." He was afraid to turn around. Turning around would make him see her and he could not stand to see the rejection in her eyes.

The old house elf stared a long time at the back of Creatures wrinkly head and then made up her mind. She slowly bowed her head and rubbed her ear gently against Creature's for the first time.

Creature went ridged threw the shoulders, shocked at the warm caress that was known to all house elves as the committing touch. As she pulled her ear away Creature whipped around so that his tears flew.

She raised her head and looked into his eyes. That was definitely a yes!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Dinner for two for six

With hundred of things he wanted to do, Harry raced into his dress clothes and forced himself to focus on dinner. He was late, of course, and his only choice to get to Ginny almost on time was the dreaded suffocation of apparition.

With a crack followed by his normal gasp for air, Harry arrived in front of the borrow to see Ron looking stylish in a new outfit and sitting on the front steps. "Am I the only one who shows up on time?" Ron asked patting a step for Harry to sit on. "Get comfy, we could be a while."

Harry sat next to his friend and took the offered bag of popcorn Ron had pulled from behind his back. He had not realized how hungry he was until he smelled the cinnamon sugar aroma. "Good idea." Harry told him taking a handful. "We won't get dinner until after we go dancing."

Harry tossed the popcorn into his mouth as Ron ripped the bag from Harry's hand. Ron had read the same chapter on a perfect date in _twelve ways to charm witches_ so he could not complain, but clearly his appetite was as active as always.

The bag empty and the bottom scraped clean, Harry and Ron were picking kernels out of their teeth when the thirty five minute late girls stepped out the front door.

Both Girls came out at the same time, yet Harry had eyes for Ginny alone. Her hair was so done up that he could not tell if it was up or down. It seemed to be a bit of both. Her dress looked like a vintage gown possibly from the muggle twenties. It was long and black, with short sleeves and a low V neck. What appeared at first glance to be sequins was in fact thousands of tiny glass beads, taking turns sparkling as she moved. Rising above her waste on her right side was an elegant stork like bird in shallow water that sparkled like it was reflecting a setting sun. The hem ended just above her ankles and was continued with many dangling strings of beads tickling her matching medium shoes.

He though he saw it all in just a moment until he looked up and saw that Ron was holding Hermione's arms out so he could look at her dress with a pleased look on his face. Ginny had her head to the side and smiled at him sideways. "Was it worth the delay?"

Harry took a moment to come up with a good reply by gesturing to her shoes and hand bag with an approving nod. He took her hand in both of his. "_You _are always worth the wait."

The moment was only ruined slightly by her pointing out that he had something in his teeth.

As predicted there was a lot of dancing and drinks before dinner which Ginny had made plans for. At their first stop she disappeared into the ladies to come out seconds later in a much shorter black dress with matching shoes and bag. She leaned in and took Harrys ear lobe into her mouth with a quick kiss. "This much leg would have been too much for mum."

His head was swimming, heart pounding with the brazen kiss and the seductive dress so that her every touch was intoxicating. Her perfume was light and strong at the same time so that he very much wanted to be in the alley behind this club versus this crowded room of people.

He had too splash cold water on his face many times before they left for the restaurant.

The entrance to the restaurant was in an ally to keep muggles from noticing too many people going to this seemingly blank spot in the wall. Before he could open the stained glass door that appeared when they approached, Ginny Grabbed Harry's dress coat and draped it over the front of her shoulders. She gave a wink as Harry looked a question at her and then had his eyes grow large as the bottom of her dress slipped up her legs and disappeared behind his coat.

Harry threw a glance over his shoulder at Ron who was engaged in a kiss and oblivious to what his sister was doing so Harry whipped his head back. It was over a month to his birthday, but he was not about to pass on an early present, even if her timing was terrible.

Ginny wiggled a finger over his coat and suddenly the gown she had on earlier flowed down to her ankles. Harry tried and failed to keep the disappointed look off his face. She gave him a pouty look, knowing why he looked as he did. She pulled him close and took his ear lobe into her mouth again and then whispered with hot breath in his ear. "The night isn't over yet."

Ron's hand on his shoulder made Harry jump. For a moment he and Ginny were the only people in the world. "Neville and Luna just showed up." Ron had almost as much lipstick on as Hermione.

Harry gave the woman behind the counter his reservation card and they were escorted threw more oak doors with a stained glass mosaic to a room of breath taking beauty and very tall pillars of carved stone. The walls were stone with grand Muriel of angels and men and women and all sorts of trees and buildings.

Luna was the only one of them that didn't stop to gawk at the marvels around them. "My parents took me here shortly before my mother died." She smiled at Neville and squeezed the arm that held hers. "I still have the swan."

For a moment Harry thought she was referring to the swans that were moving around the floor as if it was a mill pond, all of which were as big as the Weasely's old car; their necks bowed down as if drinking from the dark, polished stone floor.

The man bringing them to where ever the hell he was taking them was waiting patiently by one of the swans, a knowing smile on his face. "It is a lot to take in." He had a slight French accent and a gracious manner that made Ron squint unhappily until he spied his ring.

Luna stepped towards the flock and held her miniature swan out in the palm of her hand. She looked disappointed when none of them moved. The waiter waved his wand towards Luna's hand while she had her back turned causing the feathers to rustle and a panel to open in the wall. A swan emerged with feathers yellowed with age and moved to Luna's side to nuzzle its head into her other hand. The yellow feathers gave the swan a wizened look instead of what Harry originally thought of as tattered.

When they sat on the back of the swan Harry saw Neville put an awkward arm around Luna as a tear ran down her cheek. He felt a sympathetic twinge of pain, knowing how it was to miss a parent, but he was too wrapped up in the evening with Ginny to be brought down.

The tables were all atop the columns with a shoulder high wall surrounding them to give a bit of privacy. The swan gave a bow to Luna and as the swan left six miniature copies appeared next to each person's settings. "To call her back to leave or go to the restroom." Luna explained. She was smiling again and back to her old self.

It was then that they realized that there had been a band playing. The other dinners clapped quietly but with true appreciation. The waiter supplied them with a program card to show the acts playing thru the night along with their menus. "Now playing the squirrel nut zippers." Ron told them with a sarcastic arch to his eyebrow. Harry checked to see if it was true after laughing and saw that it was. As the band changed places with each other, a female singer stepped forward and sang a sad saucy song that the card labeled _blue angel._

Tired as they were from dancing, Luna pulled Neville up after summoning the swan and they joined the other people slow dancing to the song before the hourderves were brought to them.

The food and mood set by the music made for a truly wonderful evening dinner. They danced and ate and danced again, even when a gravel tongued older man the card named as _Tom Waits_ (another Tom) launched into a song about Alice with a bluesy sad beat that was hard to even slow dance to.

Tipsy from the drinks, Luna led the girls away on a swooping ride to the ladies that had Ginny laughing and Hermione clinging to her side of the seat.

They returned just in time for Tom to finish his set and toss his hat to a witch in a flowing colorful set of Robes and was standing on a balcony made of swans taking flight. She caught the hat and tilted it onto her head over one eye as she raised her wand causing the lights to lower. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is eleven o clock." The witch made a sweeping motion that took in the whole hall and then blew slowly onto her wands tip making it glow like an ember from a fire.

Luna leaned towards her drink causing her face to be lit by a glow appeared on the rim of every glass on the table. As the light spun about the glasses a sound began. It was low at first and grew, giving the impression that there were indeed swans making a long call of their song.

Soon the room was full of the sound and a light began to form on the far wall. "It's like the sun setting over a lake." Neville had to turn in his seat to see. Luna touched a rune hidden amongst the décor of the table causing the Whole top of the pillar to swivel so they all had a clear view to the far wall which now had changed to look like a forest on the edge of a lake or pond at dusk.

Luna was the first in the hall to leave her seat, Neville hot on her heels. The others stared after them for a while, it had been a long night of dancing and they were not in a hurry to leave their seats.

Hermione was too distracted by the runes to see the others go. She smiled up at the remaining friends and pushed another rune. She slid a sickle over to Harry as a paper dirigible rose from the side of the pillar. Hermione drew her wand and tapped the basket causing a small flame to form there and she gave it a gentle push. The dirigible was lit by the flame and was swaying to the music as it moved amongst the other columns.

"Wow that's pretty." Ginny said close to his ear. "Let's sneak off while the others watch it."

Harry sat up fast and slowed getting up so as not to draw attention to them. "I'll get the check." He murmured to her and nearly smashed the swan on the table in his hurry to leave.

They slipped out without issue and paid at the hostess stand to avoid questions. Harry couldn't tell which of them was in more of a hurry.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 question averted

The woods by the Weasely home were warm and full of the fragrance of trees and growing things that was made more wonderful by Harry's feelings of exhilaration. The dancing and laughing and eating were all a blur to the crystal clear memory of the last half hour spent, very much alone, with Ginny.

None of the others had marked their absence in time to hamper their escape so when Harry aperated in a hurry to one of the spots he and Hermione had camped, his rush was unnecessary.

Well perhaps a bit necessary. The twenty two minutes spent there went by _way _too fast.

There was no scolding when he brought her back a bit late, but Molly made it clear that it was time for Harry to be off for home after a few brief minutes on the porch. Harry did not feel put off though; Ginny told him to wait for her a short way from the house and that had turned out to be an extension to the time at their hide away.

She had nabbed her broom somehow on the way to bed and Harry had spied her coming out her window from his hiding place. Whether it was due to her being in a rush or intentional, when Ginny raced down to him she had buttoned only the top button of her pajama top and the wind of her speed made a fantastic sight that he would remember all his life.

He didn't have to walk any part of the way home, aperation would have him home in seconds, but Harry wanted to walk just now to cool his skin and stretch this feeling for all it was worth. It occurred to him that they could have aperated to his flat for their time alone and he mentally smacked his forehead at the thought. "I wouldn't have all these bug bites." He said aloud scratching one on his back.

Suddenly he was aware that he smelled pipe smoke and spied a figure hunched down near a tarp covered lump by Mr. Weasely's shed.

"Bugs _are_ out tonight." Mr. Weasely said around his pipe stem as he pushed the tarp back over the shape he had been looking at. Arthur brushed his knees off as he stood and beamed a smile at Harry. "I trust the date went well?"

Harry just stopped himself from looking towards the spot they had been moments before. There was only a quarter moon tonight and he was pretty sure that Arthur was unable to see the spot from his vantage point. _Boy I hope he couldn't._

"Without a hitch." Harry told him, very aware of every out of order wrinkle of his poorly buttoned, untucked shirt. He quickly rambled out all the places they had gone, omitting the camping site, and forced himself to calm down and play it cool. Mr. Weasely liked him Harry reminded himself and had probably readied himself for Ginny to be dating. He thought he was doing well until he told him where they had gone for dinner.

His eyes going wide, Arthur reached a Hand towards Harry and stopped it short of his shoulder. _"The_ Swan song?" Harry doubted that he was being balked at because of the cost of the restaurant so he was at a loss for Arthur's reaction.

Arthur seamed to struggle with his thoughts for a moment. "Harry, was there any, ah special reason for that particular restaurant?"

Still not seeing what was wrong Harry shrugged. "We had been apart for so long and we had been thru so much that I wanted to show them that they were appreciated for all that they did. None of them had to be so…" He searched for the right word a moment, not missing a somewhat relieved look come over Arthur. "…so faithful to me." That was not meant to sound as if Ginny had waited for him, but he could put it no better way. He had, after all, intended to only take Ginny.

Mr. Weasely relit his pipe with the tip of his wand and blew a sigh of fragrant smoke. "Harry we, that is to say Molly and myself, were hoping to ask a favor of you in regards to Ginny."

Harry tensed up, ready for the comment of giving her some time alone or to back off on the relationship.

Perhaps feeling Harry's apprehension he went on in a rush. "Marriage is in the future for you two and we are overjoyed at this." He blew out a deep breath and went on after giving another smile. "That said; we wish to ask only that you wait until after graduation if not after you tour the world."

The thought had been forming in his head for a while; ever since he had defeated Riddle in fact. Without that constant threat he was free to love without fear of endangering said love. He felt he was ready; that his path was clear with Ginny so why wait? Molly had said that Arthur and she were made for each other so waiting was not necessary. Were they so different?

Arthur saved him the need to ask more. "The two of you have grown so much in the last year and admittedly you have faced enough to be in your late thirties; you are still so young and there is nothing to rush about. So please Harry, give it a bit of time and I promise you will not regret it."

Harry ran a hand thru his hair in frustration. He was sure that the advice was sound and he was not being denighed, it just felt wrong to avoid what appeared to be a sure thing. He was opening his mouth to offer an argument when another problem leapt into view. How did Ginny feel about this? It would have to be when they were both ready and although she obviously loved him, she _was_ still in school. "I have thought about it, but haven't put anything into action yet Mr. Weasely. Maybe it is too early."

Arthur held his pipe up in a cheers sort of gesture. "McGonagall told Molly that you, Ron, and Hermione are welcome to come back to finish your seventh year so you too could still be in school; if you choose to be."

That gave Harry pause; he hadn't even thought about school. He had played with the idea of getting a job, but he hadn't had much hope for survival, let alone a life after. Maybe he should get started on a career before he thought of marriage. Harry began to feel a whole new weight upon his shoulders.

Arthur smiled at the worried look that came over Harry's face. "It's just school Harry, you will do fine." Arthur gave a glance at the tarp and gave a mental shrug. "On a different note I wanted to show you something."

Arthur gave the tarp a tug trying at a dramatic flourish, only to get it snagged and requiring Harry to help in the unveiling. Beneath was Sirius's old bike, side car included, fully restored. "Ted and I hauled it back here after the wedding to see if we could ah piece it back together."

Harry ran a hand down the tank and touched a dent in the side car. "That happened last night and Molly refused to tell me how it got there." Arthur gave an apologetic shrug and pressed on. "Anyway it's all together again and ready for you to take home."

Harry shook his head as he breathed in the familiar smell of leather and gasoline. "I good as gave this to Hagrid Mr. Weasely; he might still want it otherwise it was just a wreck to me." Now that he looked, the side car was different from the one before. The last one exploded with… _oh Hedwig I'm so sorry._ No, he could do without this ill fated bike in his life.

Arthur nodded. "Hagrid said much the same. Would you mind if I that is to say we uh…"

"You spent all the time on it." Harry hoped it was going to be safer for its new owner.

"Ted actually spent a few hours on it as well." He rubbed his chin and nodded. "Tell you what Harry, Molly and I will keep it till Teddy is old enough and then pass it on to him. How does that strike you?"

Arthur smiled as Harry agreed. "That is if Molly doesn't mash it against a tree."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 an overdue ribbon

Creature popped back into the Potter house and spun in a half circle trying to decide where to start. Should he deep clean the entry way so her first step in was perfect or the kitchens where they would do so much work together?

The old elf mentally tried to get a hold of himself. Dottie had shown her commitment to him, but was leery of the vague offer of work Creature had received for her from Master Harry. Even with the to'vee touch, he was not sure that she was ready to leave her former home for his. In many ways the female elf was like Dobby, the Malfoy's former house elf; she had an odd outlook on what she could and could not do and of all oddities she owned things.

Creature didn't see the things_ he_ salvaged from his former masters as possessions; they were just artifacts of respect for the original owner. _Accept the cleaver._ His mistress had passed the cleaver on to him after his mother had lost her head to it when she got too old to keep up. "One day you will _retire_ and pass it on to your child." She told him that a few years before she lost her son and went mad. Until Master Harry released him, her last order had kept him from his chosen mate. "You will only get into trouble with that elf. Your place is here with me and I forbid you to see her ever again."

Always the dutiful elf, Creature had swallowed the desperate hopeless feeling that was suddenly choking him. "Of course mistress." He had managed with his voice failing to give much volume. He rested his wrinkled hand on the table inside his new Room close to the heavy blade he had received so long ago

That statement had caused him to punish himself more than any two other rules and had him caressing the cleaver with a longing that aged him in his face and twice so in his heart. He could visit Dottie with such punishment, but knew that she could never be his. So why was he still holding a candle for the witch that had forbade him what should have been his right? Wizard kind often took the devotion of a house elf, not just for granted but to the point of insult, yet this witch had made the simple life of an elf unbearable. Wrong as she was; Creatures family had served the noble house of Black for several generations. What would those elves say about what he was considering at this very moment? What would his mother think? Compared to his love, these things were less than they once were. Not much less, he still felt like he should twist his ears off, but enough to go forward with it.

Creature slid the heavy cleaver off the table, it's pitted, and tarnished surface making a ringing noise as it clumsily left the surface. As he ascended the stairs he nodded to the severed heads of his ancestors. He stopped before his mothers and rested his forehead on the dusty glass cover. "It is not against a master of the house mum, it is against a monster." He wanted to say more, but had spent far too long calling this particular monster master. He propped the cleaver on his shoulder so he could run a hand over her cover; leaving it mostly clear of the dust he wiped on his toga and gave her a brief kiss.

His eyes were dark as they looked threw his eyebrows towards the shadowy covered portrait of his former mistress. With a building roar Creature swung the cleaver like an axe and smacked it into the curtain where he thought her face would be. When the curtains tried to pull aside part of it remained firm; held there by the cleaver which had pressed the unbreakable painting into the wall behind it.

Mistress Black glanced at the blade that was pressed to her hair, inches from her left eye. "You dare defile my portrait?" Her voice was low with danger.

Creature was sure that would change and was not about to let her build up to her normal bellow. "You have had your last word." He felt horror at speaking so to his mistress. He was a house elf after all and knew his place, but this was _not_ his mistress. His voice lost its shaky tone and he went on firmly as he dragged the cleaver along the curtain. "She will be Creature's and Creature hers." He tore the strip free and folded it over three times and spelled it into place over her mouth as her eyes burned with indignation. "This is the Potter house; former masters _will_ hold their tongues from now on." Creature let his eyes travel to all the other portraits of former masters and did not twitch them downward. None of them objected.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 a hasty hire

About the time Kreature was raping up his former mistress, Harry was getting home, spending a moment on the steps to gather his thoughts. So much happened that was good, but the request to wait was weighing on him. He felt as if his entire life had been constricted and manipulated by outside forces.

That line of thought brought him back to Dumbledore. He sat down on the steps, gaze going to the stars. His former headmaster had done a lot of that manipulating, but from this side of the battle it looked as if he had guided Harry to the only safe ending that was possible.

The image of Ginny floating down to see him with her pajamas flying open popped into his head and he smiled lewdly as he leaned his elbows back onto the steps. _Sorry Dumbledore, I'll think about you while I'm painting._

Harry was still grinning ear to ear when Kreature stepped up to him in the doorway. "May Kreature have a word master Harry?" The elf bowed to him as he asked and as he straitened Harry saw that he was tense under the facade of calm in his voice.

"Fire away Kreature." He felt unease creep in on him as the elf smoothed the front of his uniform. He felt as if he was about to be bombarded with a large problem that he wanted nothing to do with.

His eyes as big as saucers, the house elf clutched his uniform. "As per the masters… offer Kreature has asked…asked his…to'vee to enter into…service…" That was all the elf could manage then he covered his head and collapsed to the floor.

Harry tried to take a step back from the cringing elf and found his back against the door. _What did I say? What have I done?_ Racking his brain, Harry could not remember his words. _I have to stall for time!_ "Very good Kreature, uh, give me until four o'clock in the evening and we will palaver the, uh, terms." _Crap! That sounds like I just said yes to this!_

Kreature tried to look up at Harry and flopped back to the floor; more tears than ever falling sideways across his face. "Shall I take that as a yes?" The elf nodded franticly as he sobbed. "Good, then I am going to bed and I will see you in the…um, Kreature," the elf was stroking Harries foot "will you be alright if I leave you here?" The elf hugged his ankle and nodded again.

_ I am going to regret this one._ Harry left Kreature where he was and went upstairs, changing into pajamas to stare at the ceiling above his bed. _I never wanted the house elf I have; now I'll have two?_

Sleep was ruined for him at the moment. He had spent the hottest night of frivolity he had ever known, talked of marriage with the girl's father, and now he had more elf problems. Harry rolled off the bed and looked to the broom in the corner. _Too tired from dancing._ He grabbed the top letter from the first massive bag of letters and read the sweet note from a little girl who thanked him for making the monsters go away. She had enclosed two kanuts as a reward. _Well that was nice, but I'm not in the mood for letters._

Eventually he went to the bowl by the bed where he put his change and keys and retrieved the key that let him into the room behind his door; hoping to sooth his head with the distraction of watching the surrounding area.

Soon he had the model dialed in on the sewer system he had seen earlier. There were still people in the tunnels, most of which were sleeping. It looked as if they had built shabby looking shacks to qualify as their homes. Most of the tiny figures were plain; showing that they were muggles, with the acception of one woman who was waving her hand as if she had a wand. Tiny effects were going off in her hovel and she was detailed as a witch, but the model always showed a wand in the persons hand if they were using one.

Harry watched the tunnel dwellers for over an hour until he felt calmed enough to try sleeping again. _What a terrible place to live. I guess I could have had it worse than at the Dursleys._ Soon he was enjoying dreams that mostly held Ginny wearing better outfits than a Brazilian bathing suit.

The next morning Harry woke at a run, leaping from the bed as soon as he was awake and throwing on robes without the shower his sweaty body desperately needed.Looking at his watch he saw that he had slept in till after eleven. _Bloody hell! Less than five hours to get Hermione's help!_

Kreature made him a bagel with cream cheese while he put on his shoes and gave him a travel mug of hot coffee as he yanked open the door. "Will you be having company for dinner Master Harry?" Kreatures croak held a bit of apprehension, but was free of tears.

"It's quite possible Kreature," Harry told him after thickly swallowing, "if so there will be plenty of time before to prepare for more." Feeling he knew what Kreature really wanted to ask, Harry put him at ease. "I haven't forgotten about four o'clock Kreature." He aperated before the door had fully closed.

Hermione was a regular apex on house elf regulations, restrictions, and most important of all, contracts; so much so that they had ample time to draw one up. This gave Harry time to purchase the owl he desperately needed and a broom for his rotten aunt. One of his mother's letters stated that Lilly had wanted to send one to Petunia and, on a whim, Harry wanted to fulfill the plan his mother had never put in motion. _A clean sweep two point two is still too good for that muggle witch._

Back at home, Hermione still in tow, Harry set aside the broom and owl, a standard barn owl, and had Kreature make a late lunch for them. "You wanna meet her before we do this?" It felt odd; not having Ginny here as well._ I hope she doesn't go the same way as Ron on the whole jealousy thing._

Hermione chewed on the thought as she chewed her clam chowder. "Actually I would, I doubt that they will want me involved once the deal begins." Harry narrowed his eyes as he put more oyster crackers in his. Hermione was quick to decipher that look; she shook her head as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "I'm no longer the president of S.P.E.W. Harry. I care about their rights only now I know the rules, crummy as they are." The last bit she added in a quiet murmur.

He smiled into his water glass at the memory of their early adventures with elves. "How long did it take you to see that we had slipped out?" Harry had felt the getaway was pulled off better than he had feared it would, thanks to Ginny's quick thinking.

"What, last night? That was Ginny's plan from the start." It was Hermione's turn to smile behind her napkin. "She said you were too noble to make such a bold move and she was going to have to drag you out of there and into a quiet spot." Hermione fought to keep a bigger smile from blooming on her face at the sight of Harry going red from the neck up.

Harry could see the smile brighten on her face and knew it was at his expense. _She dragged me off to take advantage? Damn, that's sexy!_ On the outside he only nodded.

Hermione took pity on him and turned to Kreature, who had been twitching his ears at every word they said as he rewashed an already clean pot. "Kreature, could I meet Dottie? Just to meet her of course."

There was no trace of mud blood in the look he gave her. He nodded his head and looked to Harry. "Kreature will ask Dottie to come if it is alright with Master Harry." He tried to sound calm, but it was clear to them both that he was nervous about the contract.

When he had left, Hermione turned to Harry. "Should we bump up the meeting time? He looks really scared." She jumped as a crack sounded in the entry hall followed by Kreature announcing Dottie's arrival.

Harry nodded as he stood. _He's not the only one._

Dottie walked into the kitchen with her hands clutched together. She unclenched them and gave a small bow to the humans. "Kreature tells me you wish an audience." Her voice was tight, like her mouth, and she had a very formal air about her.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other before Hermione spoke up. "Just an informal introduction; we, that is to say I, wanted to meet you and offer you a bit of tea so we could, um talk." She gave a nervous look to Harry that said things were going badly and he should step in.

Harry took the look for the plea it was. "Of course if you would rather start negotiations we could move the time up."

Kreature's eyes got wider and he grabbed fistfuls of his uniform while Dottie gave a stern nod and seemed to ease up a bit. "I do wish to advance the contract time," she paused and seamed to taste his offer, "we _do_ have some negotiating to do." It looked as if she liked the flavor judging from the slight loosening of her lips.


	14. Chapter 15

Chapter 15 Hagrids fan club

The negotiations took quite a bit of time; more than Harry had planned for, but went much the way Hermione had said it would.

Kreature and Dottie were to get all the normal benefits that came with the job, more than the average elf what with Dottie's record and piano privileges. One surprise was that they were to be allowed child rights, something Harry found to be unlikely at their age. An image of a wrinkly baby Kreature made Harry want to laugh out loud.

Harry had asked if he could see her record collection before the conclusion and was sure that he had gained the right to inspect her records as an official condition in the contract. He promised to take Hermione to lunch next week; without her, he would have botched the whole affair.

A ding from the entry way announced an owl at the door, bringing a question to mind. Harry still needed to name his owl; he just didn't want to be too attached. Hedwig was still a sore spot in his heart.

Dottie was at the door as Harry went to fetch the owl, a box of owl chow in her hands. He was suddenly aware that he was still in his pajamas and looking much less than masterly. "Morning Dottie." He was lost for what else to say so he pointed towards the barn owl that was perched inside a tiny door above the entry way. _Why do I feel so awkward around her and why have I never knowtesed that door before?_

The old house elf shook the box of food, "it is Dottie's day to fill the owl tray and change the water." The awkward look on her face put him at ease; _guess I'm not the only one who finds this odd._

Harry gave a start as things moved slowly out of the wall on both sides of the door. A lower perch for the owl appeared over a small desk with several items embedded in the wood; a quill and ink, parchment, sealing wax, and an ancient looking lighter in the form of a pewter dragon. The right side of the door had the bowls for the owls, which lowered themselves to Dottie's level.

The owl hopped to the lower perch and stuck out her leg before Harry could ask about the odd transformation of the entry way. He took the note and read it to cover his lack of knowledge for his own house. Hagrid was asking him to come to the Hog's Head for a drink with him, his fiancé and a few people who had come a long way to meet him.

The people who had come to see him held little interest in the shadow of Hagrid's earlier reference to Madam Maxine; Hagrid popped the question! Harry reread the letter, a frown breaking threw his pleasure at the happy union; he didn't really want to meet more people ready to gush about his victory over the dark lord, but didn't want to wait for a later date to congratulate his friends.

The table that came out of the wall was perfect for answering letters so he took a slightly aged looking piece of parchment and tried to dip into the ink well with a somewhat ragged quill only to find the ink had dried. Dottie refilled it with fresh ink before he thought to ask her. She's _worth the trouble so far._

He wrote out a reply and decided to seal it in wax, not only because it was there but because he wanted to put a bit of formality to his reply. A search of the only drawer turned up an odd collection of stamps for pressing into the wax; an earring for Mrs. Black, a stamp for her husband and a ring for Regulus. The spot for Sirius was taken by a plain circle of black stone with the black symbol on it.

All the other Black family stamps were personalized, yet Sirius had this lump of unremarkable rock? It seemed to Harry that this was either a replacement for the one Sirius took with him when he left or he never bothered to get his own in the first place. Bah, too early in the day for this sort of thing.

Hermione was looking at the notes he had sent her so he couldn't get started on the painting which left him with little to do around his house. He caught Dottie before she could go far and asked her if she would play a record or two.

She widened her eyes and Harry thought she would refuse until she nodded and scratched the side of her head. "Kreature is correct master Harry, you are an odd wizard." He furrowed his brow at the comment and followed her waving hand. Why did the rest of the world think he was odd?

Ginny was running late when he got to the Hog's Head so he went in alone. Hagrid, seated in a low chair by a tall table, was surrounded by an assortment of people on high stools who all turned to look at the reason for Hagrid's sudden smile. Harry nodded to Abaforth and stood off to the side to await introductions. He wasn't really in the mood for being stared at by tourists and the brief tour of Dottie's records had inspired a new twist to his project; that added to Ginny being late made this feel like a waste of his dwindling summer.

"Good to see ya Harry, Ginny not coming?" He stood up and put a hand on Madam Maxine's shoulder. Not waiting for a reply, he pointed to her hand from behind her.

Harry gave her the first true smile to cross his face since he walked in. "May I see the ring?"

She complied demurely with a blush that made the girl she once was shine thru. "It was his grandmothers." It was small on her finger, in a delicate way, shifting between several colors as the spherical diamond spun in its settings.

"Ginny should be here in a bit" he said without looking at Hagrid. "This is truly beautiful."

One of the men stood; hair as wild as Hagrid's only in a pale brown. "Hello Mr. Potter, I am Gary Fann and these are my friends from America, most of which are here to see Hagrid. He introduced a long haired fellow of an age to Harry as Josh and a tall, gold toothed black man as Chuck. He apologized, mostly to Hagrid that two of his friends had left for a busier place and named the last man still seated as Homer, a nearly toothless, grey haired old man.

"We are friends with the gang Sirius used to run with," the one woman of the group had gotten up, the only guy not in denim or leather of the group on her arm. She wore a simple blouse and jeans and could have been a muggle for all of the witch she was showing. "I'm Susan Taylor and this is my husband Richard. I used to be Sirius's girl friend."

Ginny showed up right then and Hagrid had to go into introductions as Harry tried to grasp what they were telling him. "So you aren't here just to grill me on Voldimort or any such thing?" It should have occurred to him that Sirius had been involved with women in the past; it just never came up.

The woman's face, which had looked long and ordinary framed with her blond hair, came to life as she smiled down at the jacket she was holding. "Sirius left a few things behind when he rushed off in the dead of night."

Her husband joined in right on top of her. "He made sure the whole house knew something was up_. Son of a bitch, they're after Harry_!"

Susan sighed and gave her husband a look until he smiled and bowed for her to continue. She continued with one eye still on him as if she could hold him still with the pressure of her glare. "The jacket was left behind the first time he left," she paused as Richard took a deep breath and then went on as she pulled a journal from under the jacket, "he wrote this the week before he went back to England."

Harry took the book as delicately as if it were glass, aware in a detached way that she stroked a loving hand over the jacket before handing it over. This woman, this Susan must have had strong feelings for Sirius; he wondered how much his godfather had left behind when he came back to join the order and Harry's father.

Harry pulled a chair up and quickly switched it for a stool so he would be able to see over the Hagrid sized table. Soon they were all talking of Sirius and his bike when they had been young. The bike was put together by Sirius and Homer out of three different bikes that were crashed or broken by various members thru the years.

Josh, who had never known Sirius, had taken it upon himself to keep a history of the gang and their cycles and was the first to spot the unique bike which had been posted on the internet. He showed them a photo of Hagrid at a distance, cruising thru traffic like a giant bear on a tiny bike. The picture was titled; Hagrid keeping a low profile.

One of the pictures of Sirius that were included in the photo album showed him with his back to the camera, naked at the top of a water slide. He silently plopped down and shot into the lake to splash a laughing, and also naked, Susan. She had swatted Josh on the arm, but even her husband was pleased at the photo.

They laughed and talked past two until Gary pulled his watch from his vest and declared that they had to head home. Somewhere in the conversation they had asked Hagrid to join their chapter making him blush with pleasure. He had almost said yes until he looked at his fiancé. "Would we have to spend a lot of time in the U.S.?"

The members smiled at each other, knowing that they had him on board. "You just have to survive the initiation and come to our yearly rally," Gary told him.

Harry missed the rest as he gave Susan his address and received a surprise hug from her. "It was very good to meet you at last. You were what kept him going in there and gave him so much happiness. He always wanted a son." He hugged her right back, his throat tight.

Harry found that he was now quite sad to see them go. These people were a big part of his godfather's life, before and after Azkaban. Susan and Homer had sent hundreds of magazines to him when he was in the prison and had kept up years of letters to him. Sirius always had questions about Harry, but got little news due to his secret location. Susan promised to send a few of the letters from Sirius as soon as she made sure they didn't hold any delicate material.

Harry, Ginny and Hagrid went with them to Nocturne ally to see them off; the floo network was the only authorized travel between countries. They ran into the missing friends; Matt and Angela, both decked out in England tourist paraphernalia.

Half a step past a side ally Harry stopped as he took in what he saw down it. "What the hell?" On top of some trash cans that were being crushed, a man was looking out with glazing eyes over the shoulder of a cloaked figure. As if sensing Harry behind him, the figure stood up allowing the man to slump over revealing the blood running down his neck.

"Oh shit," Matt exclaimed somewhere back the way they had come, "my shirt is smoking!"

Harry never turned from the cloaked man. He was quite sure he was seeing a creature that he had last seen at a slug club party. "Vampire, back up!" He waved his friends, new and old, back into the wide street.

Like a foul stink coming out of a sealed tomb, cold and sorrow flooded out of the ally where it had been warm normal air a moment before. The figure turned towards them, drawing a rattling breath.

"Expecto patronum!" A voice shouted; speaking what Harry had on his lips. A ghostly owl shot into the ally at the advancing dementor, striking at it until its arm shot out and swatted the patronus to the ground where it faded away.

Half a dozen voices joined him as Harry called the same spell aloud. His patronus was a bit slow to form due to his shock; _I couldn't feel its presence this close and it beat down a patronus!_ How could it hide its effects, how can one dementor be so strong?

The sky above them darkened and in an instant there was twenty odd dementors joining the first. Ginny was at his side, her patronus flailing at a dementor that was trying to throttle it when a huge bear reached down and crushed it to the wall so the Kodiak could take its head in its mouth to shake.

Matt had a long knife out as he stalked towards the first dementor. Angela was trying to advance with him, but her feeble patronus shield was wavering with every step. She let it go with a sigh as the monster flew out of Matt's reach and fled, the others taking the hint and bailing as well.

Harry jumped as Susan spoke close to his ear. He was full of adrenalin, ready to swing in any direction. "They were tougher than I thought; we wouldn't have stood a chance.

They _were_ tough, but this was an odd encounter.


	15. Chapter 16

Chapter 15\16 dementors, an oddity

The ministry wanted to hear all about the excursion making the visitors late for leaving by an hour. At least they handed out chocolate to those who would take it; Homer looked insulted at the offer.

"Sorry about that," Harry told Susan and her husband.

Gary answered for the group thinking that he had been speaking to them as a whole. "I called the wife, Josh called the wife, and Chuck called both girlfriends so it's all good."

"And Homer is a crotchety hermit that could _die_ and no one would care," Josh added under his breath. Homer was evidently hard of hearing as well.

"You said that you wouldn't have stood a chance, that they were tougher than you thought, what did you mean?" Harry thought he knew the answer, he just wanted to confirm while Hagrid had the others attention.

"We sort of had thoughts of maybe busting Sirius out of a certain prison." Susan pointed at the journal and waved a hand towards the ally where the dementor had come out, "without these important bits of information we would have been eaten either by sharks or dementors."

Richard pointed to the book. "This could have been a short story best seller. Until I read that I was unaware of the sheer size of the place; I still don't know where it is."

Harry found it odd that the man who married the former love of Sirius would be willing to attempt a highly risky rescue of the guy she spent so much time writing to. Harry didn't think he had that kind of understanding and compassion, this guy would have to be a saint.

"It was my tat wasn't it Harry?" The guy that had been absent interrupted Harry's train of thought. He was peeking down his shirt along with his girlfriend. They both looked up at him when he didn't answer. "Spirit tattoos react that way when the dementors are close, don't they?"

Harry shared a look with Ginny and knew that she would be less informed than him on dementors. "I can't claim to be all knowing on the subject, but I've never heard of a tattoo doing anything unless they were wand applied and then only moving a bit." He had never heard of a spirit tattoo at all.

"The dragon on Harry's chest does purr when you run a hand across it." Somehow Ginny kept a perfectly straight face when she told them that and even managed to blink curiously when a few of them chuckled. "Well, I assume it's the dragon." The way she looked at him thru her lashes, the hint of a smile on her lips, made his cheeks become hot.

The oddity of his statement was tickling the back of his head, but it was more than that; Matt faced that monster with his wand in his left hand so he could hold that knife. "What I want to know is how you resisted the dreadful feeling dementors give off. You didn't even try a patronus charm."

Mat gave a shrug to that. Angela had used one so maybe he had used hers to shield him from the dementors draining effects. His opinion brought nods from Matt's friends, but when asked of the smoking tattoo they all looked at a loss. "Maybe I'm immune to them, prolly just the ink in the tattoo is more likely." He scratched his short, messy hair, "said some sort of chant as he did the outline, could have been a spell. Anywho I want a forty, not a chunk of chocolate."

"He got the tattoo from an Indian who's grandson was jumped by three creeps; Matt had stepped in to help and got stitches and a cast for his trouble," she pointed to his chest, "and the tattoo."

Matt blinked at her and looked to Homer. "Ever hear of this sort of thing?"

Homer rolled his eyes and knocked out a cigarette from a crumpled pack. "Do I look injun to you? Chuck's old lady is, ask him."

Chuck was already on a huge cell phone that was wrapped in some sort of rubber, antenna sticking out of both ends.

Gary stuck out a hand to Hagrid. "We'll send an owl when we can arrange for the initiation and tell you what we come up with on the tattoo. Tell then we just wanna get home."

Harry didn't want them to go yet; he was still amped from the brief fight, but it was more than that. Talking about Sirius felt good. He didn't want to leave his godfather in the past like a distant friend; too many people in his life had died for him to want this rare chance to remaniss to end. It brought Sirius back somewhat.

When Harry told the couple that he wished they could have stayed, both smiled in a knowing way. "I could do this all day, but we have work and the kids to worry about." Susan took Harry into a hug, "I'll write to you and maybe you could come out to see Hagrid get tossed in."

The group left with many goodbyes and soon Ginny, Hagrid, and Harry were alone again; Madam Maxine had gone to France to see to a student.

Now that he had time to think about it, there was an extra patronus in that alley; the others were claimed by the Americans who had cast them, but who had cast the Kodiak? "Hagrid, did you form that great bear?"

Hagrid looked down at the pink umbrella sticking out of his coat and then back down to Harry. "Er, no Harry. I can't form more than that silvery shield yet, even with my, um old wand." He pulled his coat over the umbrella and pulled a normal if oversized wand out of his pocket. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to Olimp; now that I've been cleared she wants me to use a proper wand." The look he gave the wand was like he suspected that it was a joke wand.

Harry and Ginny shared a surprised look followed by twin smiles. "So you were cleared." Ginny took his huge hand in both of hers, "I was closer to guilty on that account and they didn't even slap my wrist." She looked around to see if anyone was close enough to have heard her. With Hagrid being so visual and Harry being Harry, several people had stopped to stare at them like they were sidewalk performers.

Harry had been aware of them since the others had left and stuck out a hand to her; ready to get out of there in a hurry. "Hagrid, hate to split so quick but…"

Hagrid took his point and they were alone again. At last! Ginny allowed him to pull her into a kiss once they were back in the black house and almost gave in to the temptation before she pulled herself together and put a hand over Harry's mouth. "If you keep that up we will end up in your room and I…sort of have something to confess. First." The last bit was added as he kissed the tips of her fingers and waggled his eyebrows. It was like trying not to eat when you were starving, resisting Harry and she really did have something to tell him. "I wanted to tell you this when you were on the run, but mom had me bound by a no tell contract that kept me from saying it aloud."

"Your father and I had a talk the other day; maybe it was on the same subject?" Harry didn't think that was true, he was having trouble thinking at all. Hopefully what she had to say was quick and didn't need a lengthy discussion. Taking a page from the book Ron had given him, Harry offered her a seat at the kitchen table and sat as well to show he was in no rush and ready to listen. It felt right when he did it, but the smell of her hair was telling him it was the wrong room to be in.

She couldn't keep the surprise from her face as he showed a courtesy she would not have suspected. He really was a good guy! _At least he doesn't know how bad I want to go upstairs; this waiting to make it more meaningful jazz better be worth it!_

She told him of the secret wands that all the Weasely kids got when they were nine, showing him the one she had made that morning. "I asked my mom if I could bring this to the ministry and try to get it legalized." She took a deep breath; these wands would always be seen as inferior and she hoped that Harry would not scoff at them or her idea of what to do with them. "I'm going to attempt to get a permit to teach children before they become eligible for a… well real wand." She kept her face smooth even though she wanted to cringe and waited for his response.

Harry inspected the wand as he thought about how to respond. His heart had stopped pounding so that he_ could_ think. He saw that this was important to her, but the wand sounded sketchy at best. He was not ready to give his opinion on her plan; not if it meant that she might leave in a huff, but he had to say something. "Could you teach me?"


	16. Chapter 17 A sirius escape plan

Chapter 17 Azkaban escape plan

Harry: I find myself on the run again and feel that there is one thing I must tell you that I can't tell in a simple letter. (This book is enchanted for your eyes only and I was never very good at grammar or spelling so bare with me.)

This is how I escaped my cell and then of course Azkaban.

Step one is to get the proper equipment; this could take a while, but time you would have plenty of. (What did you do to get in there anyway?)

First off make some rope; I used my blanket by tearing off strips and weaving them together. I didn't need it to get out, but _you_ might just to get out of your cell. A rope can bend bars if wet and twisted around two bars with something to wind it tighter. I used the rope to get away from the prison, but more on that later. (I tore so many strips off my blanket that last week that I couldn't move an inch or my feet would peek out.)

Next you will need a light; there are a lot of ways to make a rudimentary lantern out of trash from the kitchen.

O.k. this is going slow and awkward, how bout I just tell you how I got out?

K, first off, animagus so you may have to use the rope to get out of the cell, after that it's a long, dirty, sweaty walk. I'll list the ingredience for the light at the end. (I hope you never need it.)

I grabbed my supplies including food, knife, candle, and rope. I put it all in a bag I made from my last remaining bit of blanket and transformed so I could squeeze thru the bars.

It was dark in the corridor; torches were lit but didn't flare bright unless a human guard was walking by. I made it down two of these hallways before a dementors creeping cold made me slip into a cell. The whimpers of the occupant came from under the bad and I nearly ran back out when I heard them.

The dementors never came into your cell, they just fed off you from the bars, but when I heard the noise from under the bed I thought one had been in there with me. I may be a Gryffindor, but that doesn't mean that I can't be afraid. I had to use the man's toilet before I left his cell.

I can move fast as a horse in dog form, but too much speed could land me in the lap of the guards so I just trotted along at a jog. (I clipped my nails before I left my cell so they wouldn't click as I walked. They make a surprisingly loud noise.)

I hid in two other cells, once for a human and again for a dementor. That last cell the occupant put an arm around me in his sleep and cried into my fur. I forgot all about that until right now as I'm writing this. What an odd memory. He slept more soundly and I felt stronger. First stranger I ever hugged. This may help you, but I wouldn't advise hugging anyone in jail. Most of us were in there for a reason.

Any who, there are four pantries by the kitchens, the third is collapsed and locked.

Shoot, I didn't even ask what abilities manifested when you were younger! When I started showing magical aptitude I learned to refine them like many young wizards do. You being muggle raised prolly means that you were unaware of what was going on and could not use the bursts of magic to your advantage.

When I was oh, nine or so, my parents would lock me in the boiler room with the lights off. I regret not getting to give them a good kick now that I look back. Still it taught me to use what I had. I was able to eventually form a small blue flame that I used to light the candles I stashed under the stairs. Soon light was not enough. I almost never deserved what I got and I wanted out of that room.

Damn it, I got off track again. I tried to fold the window and eventually got it to spongify. Practice that one without a wand, it will come. Sorry if I go off like this, now back to the escape.

I spongified the door by its lock and pushed my way in. It was in this room that I found a hole in the wall. This was one of two holes I spotted, but the other was in a cell on the fourth floor and could be a trap. Your best bet is the pantry.

Once you reach the inside of the walls it will become very dark. I can see all right as a dog in the dark, you will need your light or the going will be slow. The walk way is short and there are holes in the floor so you will want to be crawling.

The third hole I stumbled into and fell to the next floor in a shower of dust, rat turds, and bits of crumbling floor. My lantern needed more wick so I didn't even see it tell I put my foot down and it kept going. After that I turned into a dog.

My back paw hurt from the fall so I was going slow enough to see the next hole and I went around. That was where I found a box next to what turned out to be another cell. The previous owner had chipped away at the stone until he could almost fit thru.

If you ever meet someone named Sara Tilly tell her that someone in prison really liked her. The box had a fantastic figurine of her carved out of marble and painted with delicate care. Ask Tonks to show you it; I gave it to her as a sort of, welcome to the club present when she joined the order.

I pressed on the wall by the box and the wall fell away in one small spot: too small even for my dog form so I transformed and spongified the hole until I squeezed in. They like to keep us on the same cell block because the dementors might kill us off if we are too spread out.

Left from that cell will lead you to the guard house, check under the desk for the key to that door. I would have kept it, but there was only one and it wouldn't open any other door so I put it back.

Once you are in the hall way, you are in the guard's corridor. Be quiet and quick, stay to the left and look for the women's bathroom. In the supply room is a small panel with flat head screws that you can remove with your knife. The panel is behind a shelf. (I put it back into place with that spongify ability again. Can't tell you how important it is to practice that.)

The shaft behind the panel leads to the outside of the prison. Sadly, this is just a way to the corridor two floors down. (I hope you are not afraid of heights.) Stay to the right, the left starts with hand holds, only to stop where a long stretch of the wall has fallen off.

Despite the cold and wind, sweat coated me as I leaned out of that air shaft. It was while I peeked over that edge that I realized that I was finally out of the reach of the dementors. Felt like I had called a stop after a long days run that did. I brushed a hand as clean as I could get it and drew out the last square of chocolate I had squirreled away from the bit Sue had sent me.

I had no time to savor the return of my strength though; it was down the side or back the way I came to see if I had missed anything.

My arms were shaking before I had reached the next access panel which was too firmly in place for me to move, even with spongify. The next was broken and I managed to get the lower half off and squeezed in earning a rip in my pants that I could have avoided if I hadn't been so blown.

When I finally got up from the floor, I found that it led to a hallway. One way led to a series of rusted metal gates that only stopped me from going up a stairway. The other led to a great stone door that weighed more than a car. It took me a long time to get that one opened; not because it was locked, it was just really heavy.

As I caught my breath, it occurred to me that the torches here were old and less likely to still have the charm that kept prisoners from taking them off the wall or even touching them. First lantern I touched came right off, but without a wand I could only get my blue flame to sit on the spell pan and reflects dully from the focusing mirrors. Made it little better than a candle, but much better than the flame alone or my junk lantern.

I squeezed past the door into a dark, dank open space. A sort of stone walkway led around a vast hole in the center of the room and vanished quickly at the edge of my lantern light. It could have been just four feet or so to the other side, but the feeling of the room said that the hole was like a huge mouth waiting for me to fall in.

I didn't enjoy the idea that I would be walking on the mouth's teeth.

Lacking in choices, I started down. The steps were not worn like I would have thought. Few feet went this way, even when this section was operational.

The light of my lantern made the shadows around me wove in a way that made it look like something was moving ahead of me, just this side of coming out of the dark. What I would have given just to have my wand back. I would have promised to use it for light spells and nothing else, but I'm sure the ministry would have passed all the same.

I was just waiting for a wizard or dementor to loom up out of the dark that I yelped a bit when I reached the bottom and an entryway opened into the stone wall.

My light barely reached the ceiling here and was only strong enough to reach one wall if I stayed out of the middle. The air felt fresher so I figured that I was getting closer to the outside. No light yet though.

It was here that I really started to wind down. We don't get a lot of exercise in there so this was a heavy day for me. For some reason a nap sounded like a brilliant idea so I dropped my bag and drifted to the floor. Uncomfortable didn't nearly describe the floor in there so I changed into a dog to make it easier on me. It was then that I heard the voices. "Tired, so tired. Sleep you need to sleep." There was a faint glow coming from the walls too; strange designs that made me want to close my eyes.

Must have been the dogs heightened senses because those things were not there a minute before. Even in dog form, I was having a hard time resisting the urge to lie down. I nabbed the bag in my jaws and staggered off towards the far end, hoping that the hallway would end before my resolve did.

There was one more thing that I had seen before I had dashed off; bones. There were at least seven corpses in that hallway. Evidently when a prisoner goes missing they don't even bother to see if they had come this way.

There were bars at the far end, but I just squeezed between them like I did in my cell. I could see because there was a light ahead; I had left my lantern and would have died if I had gone back. Do you think those people just, I don't know, slept themselves to death? Only one of the corpses had made it to the bars or maybe they reached them and went back; either way, that was as far as they got. Now we know why there had never been a breakout before me. Poor bastard had one arm and his head out of the bars before he went down.

Anyway, I was past the bars and in a large room with a hole in one wall to the right leading to open water. Two feet after I left the hall the voices stopped, but the weary feeling sat on my shoulders like an old gorilla.

I went to the opening and saw it had bars as well; prolly never had to hold anything in thanks to the horrible trap I had just escaped. I wanted to sit outside to regain my strength, but I didn't want to risk the chance that someone might already be looking for me.

Two minutes of sitting had me nodding off so I gathered my gear and changed to squeeze thru the bars which disappeared into a few inches of sea water at the bottom. Entranced by the outside world, I stepped towards the bars and gasped as my paw entered the puddle and kept going down as I felt myself pulled to the bottom of the pool like I was in a heavy current.

Another trap. At the bottom of the pool was another pair of corpses in ragged prisoner garb. My dog form was terrible for swimming so I changed back and pushed off the bottom, feeling bones break under my feet, and shot thru the current to the surface. Before I could get too far, a wall of Ice formed above my head, more spread down the bars.

I tried punching, kicking, even spongify, but nothing was making a dent in this magical ice. Too soon my lungs were burning to pull in fresh air. My eyesight began to go into tunnel vision and my adrenalin charged lurching was changing to a weaker and weaker motion. In desperation I tried to melt the ice by putting the blue flame directly inside it.

There was a vibration in the water that hurt my ears and the sound of a plucked string growing louder by the second. I had drifted down to the bottom again and bent my legs to make a final lurch to the surface, before I could, the ice shattered and something struck my head. I pushed off anyways and popped out of the water.

As I was drawing a wonderful fresh breath, I sunk back into the water and got half a mouthful of bitter salt water. I was afraid the ice would reform before I could get out so I transformed while still catching my breath and squeezed out thru the bars.

I was able to run a few paces away from the opening because there was a half circle of stones around this side of the island.

Oh yeah, by the way, the prison is on an island out to sea, but most is taken up by the building.

The moon was already down so it was still dark, but soon the dawn would be creeping up on me and I needed to be gone. I had hoped to find a large log to help me swim away from the island, but a half hour later I had found that there were only small sticks washed up on the rocks with one wedge of a camp fire log; not much to work with.

I couldn't light my lantern for fear of detection, so I set to the task of strapping the wood together like a barrel so I wouldn't have to tread water the whole way.

I sat on that contraption for hours, paddling with a plank of wood. Not only was it slow going, but when the sticks moved they pinched whatever they touched. I felt like a barmaid working in the seediest pub in Liverpool by the end of the first day.

Go south west from the prison; that's where the shipping lanes are. You will die out there if you don't get picked up the first week. I got picked up in dog form on the fourth day and they brought me to port.

Just got word you were picked for the tri wiz! Well done Harry! Dumb said you didn't put your name in; if that's the case I'll be there before my friends deliver this. Can't risk this getting caught with me. All my love Harry, see you soon.

P.S. I don't care what Dumb says, I want you with me and out of that muggle jerk's house. I have the black house that we can use and the spot I'm writing this at. I can keep you safe Harry and it's time people stop butting in between us. Besides, I've had a lifetime of bad family memories and can't wait to be part of a good one. It's time for us to go home.


	17. Chapter 17 the last ride to hogwarts

Chapter 16 the last ride to Hogwarts.

The rest of their summer went by like the days were shortened by several hours. They painted and planned some days, but more often than not, they left the painting alone and spent most of their days trying to live up the last weeks of their free time. Too soon would be the days of heavy studying and late nights of trying to keep up.

"I picked up a few things while on the run, but I don't think I'm up to your level of cooking quite yet, Mrs. Weasely." Hermione was lingering near the stove as Ron's mother made another delicious smelling meal.

Mrs. Weasely smiled over her shoulder. "Best take notes now dear, if you are going to spend much time with Ronald."

Ginny had spent an alarmingly large amount of the summer cooking with her mother when she should have been with him and very much alone. He couldn't really complain; Ginny had spent a fair amount of time alone with him. She helped with the painting, but was hesitant to come to his house when they would end up alone. He couldn't make up his mind wither she couldn't trust him, or herself.

"Is all this cooking for the children? I can't see nine year olds needing this kind of education." Harry had learned it early because the Dursleys saw him as a lay about who had to earn his keep, but cooking for kids?

Ginny's mother gave Harry a stern look and pointed her stirring ladle at him, "That's none of your lookout; bad enough that you know of the wands so keep quiet about it." The look he gave him was ruined by the extra large plate of food she carefully placed before him.

Harry had not received any info on the odd dementor attack and didn't really care to. The dementors were a world away, where other wizards who had survived just fine without his help would be handling it. That didn't mean Harry was care free on the matter, far from it, In fact with dementors, Harry was on the same page as Dumbledor. These were the creatures that had tormented Sirius for years after all.

A favorite pass time for the four friends was the learning of new spells for the home-made wands. Hermione, ever thirsty for things to learn, was interested purely for the knowledge. Harry and Ron used the wands in mock duels and pranks of which made excellent practice for when they went back to school and wanted to let off some undetectable steam.

Ron made a fairly good teacher, yet he was second rung compared to Ginny; she taught like a teacher in her tenth year. "I have a student teaching job when I get to Hogwarts", was her reply when Harry pressed her. He swung his gaze to Hermione who shrugged. "Is everyone going to assume that I was going in that direction? I'm going into arithmincy at the ministry. If not there," she went on, looking off into space, "I will try my hand at the science institute for magical practicality."

Ron blinked at that and shrugged his shoulders. "I thought you would lean towards minister or headmistress of Hogwarts, sort of a Dumbledorian set of choices.

Hermione smiled at that and kissed him quickly leaving him smiling, looking unsure why she was pleased. Both Harry and he had never had much respect for any of the bumbling ministers of the past and often attempted to sneak past the headmaster while breaking school rules.

Years of practice had trained Mrs. Weasely to get them all packing early for the next days journey to the train station so when Harry showed up the night before she had them stuffing their trunks and readying their supplies before he could get into the door. She had nothing to worry about though, with Kreature and Dottie's help they were packed long before dinner.

For once Mrs. Weasely got to sit with her family and wait as her dinner was made for her and the family by the house elves. "I must say, it is very nice to see dinner from this side of the stove for a change." Despite her words, Harry saw her eyeing the stove as if she wanted very much to be doing it for herself.

The next day a car from the ministry showed up to take them to the station, Mr. Weasely behind the wheel. "A fellow student told his father about my old car driving him and his friends to safety when they were stranded on the grounds. Said they were wounded during the battle and sort of hitched a ride." Mr. Weasely put a finger to the side of his nose. "I have it from a friend that this student was a Slytherin."

Ron nodded seriously. "We heard about the Slytherin quidich team joining the fight, must have been one of them."

MR. Weasely looked mildly surprised and shrugged. "I see, well the boy's father offered the car and his thanks." He smiled broadly at Harry and Ron. "First time I was glad you stole that car."

Both tried to explain that the car had in fact saved them from spiders, but were saved having to explain about why they had been so far in the forest when Mrs. Weasely came out with Ginny making the conversation die. Neither needed Ron's father's subtle nod in Mollies direction.

They piled into the back seat, Ron and Harry in the middle so the girls could have the windows. Normally the middle was cramped with just three, but the back was spelled to be bigger leaving plenty of elbow and leg room for the four of them.

With the windows down there was a great deal of breeze blowing thru the back seat, most of which seemed to be focused on Ron's face and hair. He kept glancing at Hermione's window as if he might ask her to close it a bit, but didn't want to.

Harry was aware that almost all that wind was coming, not from the window, but from the twig wand Ginny had laid along his leg, a breeze spell blowing Ron's hair up in its current comical fashion. Unable to hold it all in, a chuckle escaped him, causing Ron to look at him and then spy the wand.

Ron leaned forward and glared at his silently laughing sister. "You….!" He barked, flinching as his mother glanced back at them. He smiled and waved to her before she turned back before giving his sister the _your gonna get it_ look and rummaged in his discarded flannel for his own home made wand.

What followed was a furious and oddly quiet battle that managed to catch a laughing Harry in the middle. At least a little of each spell the siblings threw at each other hit Harry, but the fight ended when Ron tried to dowse Ginny with a water spell and the wind from the windows blew much of it onto Hermione, who had rolled her eyes and ignored them up until that point.

Ron gave up at that point, looking gravely sorry for spraying her, sparing a quick look of promised menace to his sister as he stored away his wand.

They arrived at platform nine and three quarters with a few minutes to say their goodbyes with plenty of time to load their luggage. "Your mother has not packed lunches for the train, if you get hungry…"Mr. Weasely sniffed at Ron which had made him stop in mid speech. "Why do you smell like stink weed and why", he touched Ginny's shirt, "are you all wet Ginny?"

Mrs. Weasely noted the mess and righted it with a stern, knowing look for the two of them. "If you get hungry you will have to be nice to your sister." She poked Ron in the chest once to make sure she got her point across. "Harry, will we be seeing you for the…never mind of course we will. Be good kids, have fun and we will see you during the holidays."

He stepped back to give Molly room to fuss over them one last time. Ginny always got a special hug, but it was replaced by a rundown of what sounded like a weeklong camping trip. The talk took so long that Harry had time to return the greetings of half the students walking by on their way to the train. He hoped they would finish soon, at any moment the people who hadn't spotted him would join the ones who had and they might all miss the train that was feet from them.

Ron's parents looked happy and care free as the train left the station for what seemed like the first time in many years and Harry, who had always felt bad for bringing trouble into their lives, was pleased to see it.

Harry had so many people calling to him and patting his back that he could not navigate the passage way of the train. He smiled in giggling frustration at his inability to get even one word out in the acoufany of noise.

A loud snap sounded above him making Harry duck his head, the cause of which tapped her student teacher ID and arched an eyebrow at the parting crowd, a small smile playing across her face. "Have patience every one, you will have all year to chat him up. If you want a better chance at him, I believe there are still some spots left in the secret club known as the D.A."

As Ginny led him away from the returning noise of the crowd, she turned her head and gave him a slow wink. "See me after class _Mr. Potter_." She led him to a private car; past all the cars filled with students talking excitedly to friends they had missed over the summer. Harry spied Neville, arm around Luna in a circle of friends who took over the benches and spread to the floor. Luna spied him and gave a subtle nod so the others wouldn't look. Harry beamed a quick smile and moved on.

The car had a bit more room to it and a small stove that Hermione was tending with one of the twig wands. Ron sat with narrowed eyes, one hand over his mouth to hide its sour twist. The window was opened which did well to dispel the heat, yet nothing to get rid of several wonderful smells. "Last minute practice before I take on students." She took Hermione's place and peeked in the tiny oven.

"Tuna casserole, Pork roast, and muffins," Ron muttered with a hand sweep towards the stove, "_She_ said it would be half an hour before it is done. Smells done to me." Harry noted that he was taking his mother's advice and trying not to be rude to his sister.

"I was sure that my lessons would be set by me," Ginny gave the stove a disappointed look, "but I'm not sure I'll get any say at all." Her disappointment was clear on her face leading Harry to the conclusion that she would not be majoring in this for long.

The muffins were out first and set to cool as far from Ron as Ginny could put it. "Um Harry, I think you have a visitor." Ginny had set the muffins under the window so she had an excellent view of the passing landscape, included was a young witch on a broom.

Harry moved to the window, unaware that his hand had wandered to his wand, and looked out at the girl.

Seeing that he was at the window, the girl pulled an apple from her pocket and tossed it over her shoulder. After two seconds the witch pulled back hard on her broom and fell backwards out of sight.

"You have some of the strangest fans Harry," Ron said with his face close to the glass.

Harry was turning away when Ron grunted. The girl was back and as they watched, she took a bite of the apple she had dropped. Harry smiled at her until a school warden in out dated garb slid into view behind her. Oddly he was standing on his broom as if in a classroom, arms crossed and tapping a foot.

The girl, not needing to see what they were looking at behind her, said something that looked like _shirt_ with bits of apple blowing out between her teeth and dropped the apple again. In a flurry of movement that had all three of them bringing their wands up, she whipped a piece of paper from her pocket and flew towards their window.

A mild bark of "don't shoot" from Ginny held their hands. All that the girl did was slap the paper on the window, somewhat upside down, and sped off.

The teacher dropped onto his broom, tipping his hat to the watchers before racing off after the fleeing girl.

_Carmen for seeker_ was written on the paper which had stuck to the window. "She took Harry's spot while you three were on the run," Ginny informed them from her spot in front of the stove, "looks like you have a bit of competition."


	18. Chapter 14

Note: This is the witch Harry saw in the Black house map room. It used to be a darker story, but has been altered because the world is dark enough.

Chapter 14 the tunnel witch

The sound of so many people awake outside of the thin walls of her little hut was enough to tell Tara that it was morning and was instantly aware of her back; sore from the lumpy excuse for a mattress she was using. She had traded the good one her friend had given her for her seventeenth for the entry room she now had bolted to her plywood hovel.

She reached past the solar lawn lamp she kept on her cardboard dresser and grabbed the black leather scroll tube. The oversized sunglasses went onto her face before she drew the thin stick wand and lit it, just in case she had left the mirror face up; she couldn't tell if she did in the near pitch black.

Tara made her bed and gathered the dishes of the previous night in an old mesh bag that once had held oranges. She didn't bother changing out of the scrubs she wore as pajamas; she would change those after her shower.

She tied the orange sack to her backpack full of gear she would need at the showers and set it down to put her wand away. She turned on the lawn light and sighed as she looked at the overturned mirror. She was careful to hold it so she could only see her hair and then only long enough to make sure it covered the right side of her forehead. _The world could do with a lot less reflective surfaces; _A thought that was often on her mind.

She knelt down at the low roof of her new entrance way, which was an empty liquid chemical container with plastic on the inside and steel frame without. It took Jimmy three days to hack and snip both sides to make the doors. She placed the lock she had taken from the inside, on the matching outside setup and put the key in her bag and breathed in the slightly fresher air of the tunnels.

Looking at the new addition from the outside, the other, better lawn lights adding to her lamp to show most of her tiny home, she thought it looked good, well worth the mattress and the time with him spent on the replacement. That part he had asked for while making an exaggeratedly lewd sneer; true surprise on his face as she dragged him into her dark home with a forceful hand. She hadn't known how bad she had craved the touch of another person until she had leapt on the excuse he provided as a dirty joke. She regretted none of it, even his corn on the cob flavored mouth. In fact, she was terrified that he would pull away, but the flesh was willing.

The showers were a short walk down the tunnel and blissfully empty this late in the morning. That was due to the smell of crescents with cinnamon wafting from the cooking shack. Tara kicked a milk carton as she thought of what _she_ would get for breakfast; a lumpy bowl of oatmeal. She had to force herself not to wonder if Jim would ever talk to her again. She didn't need any more self doubt. The hopeful look on his face every day he came back to work on the door helped. _Guy should be a ball player the way he ran my bases. _

"A rare smile from Tara; what mischief have _you _been into girl." That came from a woman in a holey jump suit, working on one of the junk bikes.

Tara hadn't even known that she was; the smile getting bigger as she waved to Trish, but the only sound she gave was the clop of her flip flops. She had been assigned to bike detail with her last week, before Jimmy. She wasn't ready to talk about him yet; he was too much of a flight risk.

Shower was a generous term for the contraption these muggles had stitched together. It looked like a short, stubby water tower; roughly circular in shape with several crudely welded on pipes set at many different angles leading down to shower curtains in a rainbow of dirty colors.

A squat man in need of dentures was in charge of the trickle buckets today. Every one shifted in the multitude of jobs necessary to keep this place running. "Morning Max. Any of those buckets full yet?" She gestured to the pickle buckets catching the trickle of water coming out of the tiny spigot.

Maxes bulky old body was seated on the folding chair he had taken from his own hovel. Rule number five; leave your stuff lying around if you don't want it. Someone will pick it up. A stray drip landed on his balding head and he raised a meaty hand to wipe it away. "This one's almost half; could ya be a dear…?"

Like he had to ask; Tara never took a shower unless the buckets were empty. A full bucket had to be lugged up the too narrow, circular staircase to be dumped into the tower. That gave whoever was doing the lugging a perfect chance to see your naked tater while you had a wash. That did not scare her half as much as the thought that someone would see her naked face. It wasn't every day you saw a person with a quarter of her face brown and swollen.

After dumping the bucket, Tara checked the oil lamps under the tanks and yelled the levels to Max who logged it in the journal. After that she showed a huge leap of faith, she took a shower without her glasses while her dishes washed themselves at her feet.

Now that she was clean it was time to go to work which today was to take as many lawn lights as she could fit into her bag and baby sit them while they charged in the sun. That meant a trip to the world above. It wasn't a hard job, but it happened to be her least favorite. She was always pale due to the lack of sunlight and with her black hair it was even more obvious.

She had to run to hitch a ride on the trailer pulled behind an old riding lawnmower that was half full of people. She sniffed quietly and found that one of the people had just returned from cleaning the drains. She hopped off before long. _The ride was not worth the smell._

At the end of the tunnel she found another rotten smell where she had planned to wait. There was a puddle of foul water that had come from another pipe. That reminded her of the tunnel dweller rule book. Rule fourteen; never linger near an entrance.

If she had a real wand she would have puriphied the water, of course if she was allowed a real wand, she would probably have a real job and not be living as a muggle. She touched the leather case, which was a constant reminder of what she had done.

She pulled her hand away as if burned and hastened her step towards a spot of sun between the trees in a small park.

She had been sitting, tending her crop of lights, reading, sweating, when her first juice box went dry. The community meals she had were alright, but there was never much in the form of drink. Money was hard to come by for a dweller, accept on canner day, so she had to really stretch the cash she was allotted. Juice boxes were easy to hide so no one could ask for a drink of something they couldn't see and everyone wanted a taste. They were cheap and her favorite treat by far.

She put the empty box in her bag and touched the other one. _It will taste all the better if I wait._ She was about to close the bag when she saw the police. Cops asked questions, questions she did not want to answer. The last officer she spoke to demanded she take off her glasses, probably to check if she was stoned. The look he gave her swollen eye socket had her down most of the night.

She repacked her bag and hustled towards the buildings. She could not risk drawing them towards the tunnels.

She disappeared down a side street and sprinted into two other turns until she was far enough away to feel safe. Halfway out of an alley, three tall boys with wild hair and dirty clothes spotted her.

"Hello princess," one of the boys called, "bit far from your castle?" The others looked at each other before laughing. "There's a toll for walking our fine streets," he rubbed his fingers together "course you could pay us with a bit of a show." He pulled his shirt up to demonstrate, as if she couldn't guess. One of the other boys arched an eyebrow at him behind his back.

The top of her case popped off before she knew she was reaching. "Funny, think I'll pass." The sweat from running doubled as they stepped closer._ Oh shit. Bad time to be missing a real wand._

The smiles faded from their faces as she backed into the alley. "Too late for niceties princess, I'll be taking both now." The two that advanced didn't see the third put his hands up and back away.

"Brew finowin!" She flung her wand forward as she said it and steam blew out the end into the chatty ones face. The other, she hit with a spark spell to the eye that had it swelling as she turned. That one had missed her hoodie by inches

The boys bellowing behind her, Tara ran down the alley, turned left up a street called Tawny and right down another alley. She had time to find a spot in the floor of the alley that made a hole for a lower window below street level.

She pulled a box over her head and tried to stay perfectly still as she heard the smack of the boys shoes. "Check over there Ben," one boy hissed and someone moved past her box.

So scared she wanted to cry, Tara tried to open the window, only to see that it only opened from the inside. Breaking it would give her away so she pulled her wand and cast the opening spell she had found in the book she had received in the mail from the mysterious G.W. She _was_ crying now and had to try twice more before it opened, barely moving the curtain.

The hinges were old and unused; they gave a slight groan when she pulled it towards her. _Crap! There isn't enough room to open it!_ As quietly as she could, Tara rose up so the window could open outwards and down. The boy at the end of the alley had turned around and she could see him between two trash cans as he came back. She slowly lowered back down and got one leg in before finding her other lightly pinned by the window.

"See her?" The boy in her alley asked. No answer came back.

Tara tried to put her foot down inside the window, but the floor was too far away. In order to free her foot and not move the box she had to fall into the room and hope the floor wasn't too far down. With a last look into the dark room, Tara dropped in, her shoe popped right off. She hit hard on one shoulder, her arm landing on something tiny on the ground. She thought she felt it grind into her bone thru the meat, wrenching a quiet groan from her.

Slow to rise due to the pain, she got her arm past the curtain, grabbed her shoe, and pulled the window quietly closed. Amazingly her little twig of a wand survived the fall.

"Hello?" A thin voice called from the room connected to the one she was in.

She did not answer, just froze accept for the hand rubbing her arm. She brushed what felt like a metal screw off her arm and heard it ping to the ground. The sound made her wince, _good job staying quiet moron!_

The voice continued after the _ping_ of the screw, "I don't care why you are here, I just need a hand and you can get on with robbing the place."

Tara sighed and peeked into the dark room, unable to see where the voice was coming from in the gloom of the windowless room.

"The light switch is on your right," the voice told her.

She hit the switch and was surprised by the multitude of colors the light threw on the walls. An ancient lamp out of the sixties, with colored glass globes over the light bulbs

When she was in Togins, she could not afford Hogwarts; she had been teased by the same three girls for the first three years she was there. In the fourth year one of the girls had said she looked like a dead girl when Tara was already under stress about her test scores.

She had been given up for adoption, hated by the other orphans for being ugly and weird, and teased by every school bully or jerk. She just snapped; in a blind, hateful rage, Tara had yanked out her wand and sent a jet of flame into the girl's perfectly normal face.

Expelled and in juvie for half a year was just the start of her troubles; she had been in a foster home at the time and although the woman she lived with was just using her for the money, it had been the happiest home she had ever had. Now she was back in the orphanage, barred from foster care due to her actions, and stuck in a muggle school.

She really didn't want a B and E on her record, but the voice in the next room had something odd going on with it.

"Finally," the voice said as Tara stepped carefully into the room, "someone that isn't a muggle." The _speaker_ was actually a painting of a witch in her late fifties, grey blond hair cut short.

Tara shrugged at the painting, "what do… can I do… um, what?" All she wanted to do was hide tell the boys left and move on.

The woman looked at her from her painting, a simple painting of a finely adorned house and lawn which had received water damage from being set on the damp floor of this rarely used basement. "You are a witch aren't you? Of course you are or you would not be able to hear me." She sketched a sort of bow and rubbed her hands together. "I see you are in a hurry so I will make this brief. The people who own this house are muggles and do not care for my painting. I have been here for nearly a decade in this forgotten basement and desperately want out of the dark."

Tara raised her eyebrows, hidden behind her glasses, and shrugged. Did the witch want her to leave on a light or something? The lights in her bag had started glowing as she walked in, but leaving one of those would be useless after the first couple of hours.

The woman rolled her eyes at her lack of understanding. "Take me with you," she said with a hint of exasperation. It sounded as if she was trying hard not to call her an idiot.

In short order, Tara had the painting under her arm along with some wizarding equipment that should not reside in a muggle home; at least that's what she told herself to justify taking it.

Soon she was out of the basement and heading towards her spot of sunshine; the lamps still needed charging.

"Sorry," a voice said to her from a doorway. It was the boy who had backed away when his mates got nasty; looking like said mates had taken their frustration out on him.

She eyed his puffed cheek and fattened lip that was holding the last stub of a cigarette. "Choose better friends," she told him as she passed by his steps.

He snorted his agreement and eyed the stuff she was lugging without comment so she moved on before he got to her face in his inspection.

New furnishings for her flat, a fight to brag about, a possibly long term boyfriend, and a full juice box; what more could an underground hobo ask for?


	19. Chapter 19 bad fitting keys

Chapter 19 poor fitting keys

A quarter hour later Carmen, the Gryffindor seeker of the previous year, came down past their car; the teacher in tow. Both were covered in soot, windblown, and trying hard not to grin. "You will receive that detention some time tomorrow Mrs. Blatt." He favored her with a look that held zero malice; like a father with a favored daughter who was making a show of scolding her. She winked at Ginny as she went by.

The teacher took a little time to catch up with them; he turned out to be James Weatherwood, the man who had given them their reward earlier in the year. "I will be teaching your advanced defense against the dark arts class so, bring your wands," he conjured some smoke figures that raced from one odd action to the next, "but more importantly, bring your wits."

He wasn't the last odd visitor they got on the train. After he left, the trolley lady and the conductor stopped by and partook of the food Ginny had prepared. This did nothing to dissuade Harry from believing that cooking was an odd subject for kids. Visitors aside, the larger part of the student body respected their privacy; a first for Harry. Well, the first years could have formed a slow conga line for all their lingering looks in unnecessary passing.

They got up to the castle via the carts as was there normal mode; too many students had smiles slide off their faces as they saw the thestrals they had half believed were fictional in a happier time.

Luna broke the sour atmosphere by getting Neville to ride up to the school on the thestrals backs alongside her. She looked disappointed that they were unable to fly while pulling the carts; Neville looked as if the ground ridding was bad enough.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all commented on how the school looked undamaged; a thought that was shared by many of the returned students, judging from the talk around them. Much less welcome was the terrible absence of Albus Dumbledore.

There was a touching service, honoring Hagrid with the job that was passed on to him by its former position holder; Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. With the passing of the sorting hat, it was now his duty to call forth first years and place the hat upon their heads.

Harry smile as his friend butchered three fourths of the names on the list, made worse by his emotional state over getting the position. Secretly Harry thought that McGonagall had a choice between Hagrid and Trelawney, a sketchy reader or blind as a bat; tough decision.

The feast was as good as he had ever tasted, Hermione however; found the food worthy of a colorful note that she left next to the centerpiece. "I cannot deny that they enjoy working here", she told Ron who had read the comment about the chicken aloud after snatching it up, "but they are worthy of our praise at least." She plucked it from Ron's hand and placed it back where it faded away along with the leavings of the feast. Harry thought that the vanishing food had been followed by a squeak and a giggle.

The home he was returning to, Hogwarts, felt less somehow. It was the same school, the same castle that he had lived in, loved in, fought in, but now it was different. Maybe it was him that had changed; so much had happened since his last year that it felt like he had gone far beyond his years.

"I feel like I'm trying to live a dream that I've outgrown." Harry was not aware that he had spoken aloud until Hermione placed a hand on his arm.

"What made you say that?" She looked up into his face while students streamed past on both sides. "We're right where we belong Harry."

Ron head was hanging down with his hands deep in his pockets. He looked at Harry threw his dangling hair. "You mean the feeling that someone is gonna spin you around and get a good look before bellowing for an age line? He shrugged without taking his hands out. "I felt like a guest visitor in the main hall; like I should leave as soon as the feast was over."

Harry nodded and leaned against the wall, the corridor now empty except for them. "Do we belong here? We could get jobs anywhere we want on our fame alone. I just feel like we've mined this place dry and all the mystery is gone."

Ron fingered the multi tool that Fred and George had given him in his first year. He had yet to solve the map inside it and had the feeling that he was the only Weasely who had not, but he had promised to solve it on his own so in his pocket it stayed.

Hermione patted Harry's arm and nodded, eye brows raised. "No one to fight, no one to save, nothing to solve. Most of the people in this school spent their whole time here like that and they managed to find reasons to keep going." She grabbed them both by the arm and led them towards the stairs. "I must admit that the outlook is, well boring, but give it a week boys; this old castle isn't done with us yet." It was an effort for her to not let her feelings show, but she had felt a lesser bit of what they had just complained about and there was no way she was going to finish her last year without these two.

Although both boys had rolled their eyes in doubt, Hermione's cheery mood took some of the gloom out of them; enough so that she was fairly sure they would stay.

The first week back was a flash of fast talking teachers and frantic note taking, leaving the boys with too much on their plate and Hermione in her element. A rotten surprise was that Snape, in picture form, was running the defence against the dark arts class. Ron voiced his feelings of deep regret for the poor students who would not be advancing this year.

The first day of class was decidedly not like they had pictured. The professor walked in dressed like someone from the twenties and looked nothing like what he looked on the train. This version was younger and slightly shorter, with an American accent. "First lesson!" He announced as he strolled into the closet. No sooner did the door close than he was back out looking like Mondunguses wayward brother. "Welcome to lock picking for beginners." With a clunk he dropped an old standard muggle lock on a student's desk.

From pockets all over his person, the professor began pulling out locks and tossing them to students; each lock different. "There is an assortment of random broken bits of metal in small sacks under each of your benches. What I want from you is…" Professor Weatherwood stopped as a voice called out.

"Oye, catch!" Ron said as he threw his now open lock back to the teacher.

With deft hands, Weatherwood nabbed the lock out of the air and looked at his pocket watch. "Weasely, isn't it? Do I give you twenty points for breaking the first day record or take them away?" He said this in a way that faded the smile on Ron's face. "This shows practice, experiences of a nefarious nature." He leaned over Ron's desk and looked right into his face. "Your lock pick bag is still under your desk Mr. Weasely. Twenty Five points… to Gryffindor," he told the class as he strode back to the front of the class. "This is a text book example of what makes a good aurora." Ron, at least, had found a reason to feel he fit in.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20 Ginny's first class

Ginny was instantly uplifted after her talk with the headmistress. It turned out that her lessons _would_ be left up to her; the message she had received about her teaching subjects were full of suggestions for what to teach in her opinion.

Ginny did not say so, but she thought that McGonagall was a bit out dated when it came to what a child should learn.

She had talked in length to Harry, Hermione, and even her brother about what a good first class would be like. What should her first lessons be on? Should they be educational or would a fun first class be what would keep the kids from finding the work tedious.

Ron had the best take on her problem. _All these kids will be home schooled in a non magical setting, your classes will be getting their hands on wands two years before they normally would. I think they'll jump at whatever you have to offer._

She was set up in an unused classroom; well aware that if she was allowed to teach, it would not be at Hogwarts.

She was told that this first trial would be with two students instead of the whole classroom affair. She hoped that they were well mannered; it would be no fun to teach a couple of brats who wouldn't listen. It wouldn't help that it was six in the morning on a Saturday.

She breezed into the room, wanting to be set up before they arrived and froze as she saw that the room was already occupied; not by her students, but Anabela Figg and of all people Filtch.

"Sorry," she said taking a step back, "I was here for my…uh class." Something was going on here and she had the sinking feeling that she was about to receive some bad news.

Mrs. Figg slowly stood and raised her hand. "Professor Weasely? I have a note from the headmistress for you." She pulled out the note with her hand still in the air.

Ginny took the note and motioned for her to lower her hand as she read the letter.

Professor Weasely, it occurred to me that you may have been under the impression that you would be teaching children the use of this new wand. It is the belief of the ministry and myself that these wands could benefit witches and wizards with unique needs, giving them the peace of mind many have longed for most of their lives. My apologies for any misleading on my part. Best of luck professor. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.

_Oh boy._ Clearly she was referring to squibs without the rude terminology. That means that she was going to be teaching, not only adults, but people thrice her age. Oh boy indeed. The only good news was the use of _professor_. "Right then", Ginny had to keep her head and play the cards as their delt. "Mr. Filtch, Mrs. Figg, kindly step up here to the supply crates and select a reed and we will get started on making your first wand."

An hour earlier a grumbling Harry was shivering in the cold corridor walking Hermione and an equally grumpy Crookshanks down to Hagrid's home to get the cat's putrid smelling ear checked.

"Always good to see ya Harry, Hermione, but always was meant for awake hours; I haven't even had the kettle on yet."

Hermione held up her cat, so upset that she couldn't tell him what they were there for. "His ear smells like his brain is rotting out of his head" Harry managed before a violent yawn struck him. "Ron, evidently, was too hard to wake." Hermione heard the accusation in the comment and chose to ignore it.

Hagrid took this like it was a normal part of his day, a yawn was yanked out of him and he pointed an accusing finger at Harry. "Only thing that makes that happen is a cat fight. Little tom prolly had a scrap with another fella and got a scratch on his ear. That or his brain is rotting."

Hagrid rummaged in a cupboard and threw a few things hap hazardly into a big tea mug and stuck a butter knife in it, wiping a glob of it on the cat's ear before he could shy away. "By the time you get em up to the common room his ear'll be all better. You can let him wash it off; it won't hurt him none."

Hermione gave him a fierce one arm hug that nearly squashed her cat. "You're the best Hagrid." Completely out of character for her, she had burst into tears.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch Hagrid, we will try to stop in next week." By this time Harry was ready to get back in bed and marched Hermione away with him. A shouted: _After breakfast_ followed them up.

They made it half way down the hall before Filtch stepped out from a side corridor and froze at the sight of them, or at least the sight of Hermione's cat. "You! You're the cause of Misses Norris's… delicate condition!"

Hermione pulled her cat away from Filtches accusing finger making Crookshanks yowl. Before Filtch could explain the situation, an orange kitten popped his head out of the old man's pocket; a loop of leather string hanging down his face.

The kitten went wide eyed at the sight of Crookshanks and freed himself from the pocket so he could make a giant leap onto Hermione's shoulder. Quick as… well, a cat the kitten clawed his way over a wincing Hermione to touch noses with a disinterested Crookshanks.

Squirming to get away from the kitten, Hermione dropped Crookshanks so he could flee the scene. "Are you,…um, quite sure this is Croockshankses…,ah, doings?"

Both Filtch and Harry gave her a flat look; what with his orange fur and squashed face, not to mention the bottle brush tail, what other cat could have been responsible?

Filtch shook the string in his pocket, drawing the kitten's attention and getting him to jump back to his moldy lapels. He looked from the kitten and back at Crookshanks to see if they resembled enough for a conviction.

"Well, much to do this morning, we'll catch up later." The last Hermione said over her shoulder as she fled the scene much as her cat had moments before. Harry gave a shrug and followed on her heels. That wasn't his cat, this wasn't his kitten, and he should be in his bed.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Sir Thomas, no more

Sir Thomas sank his fangs into the invading snake's body a final time and kept its head pinned to the ground with a carefully placed paw. The body and tail still tried to coil and move so he had to wait.

Many snakes had tried to come into the yard in the last few dark times. Many snakes and more rats: so many that he was finding he could no longer eat the rats and had to put them with the snakes beneath the large bushes of the south area.

Thomas left the snake to coil its weak coils and went back to patrol. "Watch for the snakes and kill them", the person who was a cat, who was not a cat, had said. She was easier to read than the other people, but still not a cat.

He sniffed the air and caught the scent of another mail that had strolled across his prowl; the male had caught _his_ scent markers and had wisely moved on.

He prowled a few feet more before the bad smell brought him up short. _The man snake!_ The person who was a cat, who was not a cat had left a bit of old man cover for him to smell so he would know what to look for and this was him!

Sir Thomas ran for the den door, fur up and claws out, giving a loud yowl to warn his den mates.

The door was closing and the man snake was inside! He ran faster, but too late for the door closed with a click. _He will kill my den mates and then their pup!_ He searched his memory of his earlier prowl for a way in and remembered the looking perch in the pups nest.

He tore off for the western side of the house and leapt towards the wall. His claws went a little way in and he began to climb, slamming his front paws onto the sturdy wood to make his claws catch. Passing the first level, he saw his male den mate die and growled as he sped up, back legs scrabbling.

He was just beneath the pup's nest when his female den mate died with the bright green light of the snake man's spell.

Sir Thomas gave a chirp to the pup, though he could not yet see him. _I'm coming!_ He reached the window and thrust up his paw to rip open the screen, even though he could see the snake man casting his spell.

The screen parted like a wet tissue under his claws and he got one paw into the window before the house exploded. The window blew apart and Sir Thomas was suddenly flying backwards to smack into the fence far below.

Rat. He was smelling the man that was a rat that was not a rat: oh but he was a rat. This person who came to the den sometimes had been around the snake man. Both smelled of the other and now he was close.

Sir Thomas pulled himself out from under the pile of broken house with his torn side hurting, his sore back aching. The rat had brought the snake man to his den and killed his den mates, this rat would pay.

Quietly, he stalked threw the pieces of his den, moving slowly because of his wound. He stopped as his ears began to work again. _The pup lives!_ The sound of his cries was muffled by the wood on his shattered crib and he could smell his blood, but the pup was definitely alive!

The man rat was standing over the snake man's corpse, close to where the boy cried and he stooped to take something from the corpses' hand. After stowing it in his robes the man rat raised the wood in his hand and turned to the pup.

Sir Thomas ignored the pain as he raced towards the rat man and leapt on his back with a screeching cry. The rat man squealed and spun around, trying to fling the spitting cat from his back. After just one bite the cat was flung off and the man rat cast a spell that exploded the ground where Sir Thomas had landed, knocking him into the air and knocking him back out.

The rat man did not kill the pup, before he could turn back to the pup a bike had arrived with a giant man atop it. He smelled of many animals and took the pup before Sir Thomas could wake and that was alright. He could not care for the pup.

He woke and looked around the wreck of his den, he found the male and rubbed his cheek so he would remember his scent, and he found the female and did the same. This was no longer his home; he could already feel the call of his next den, but took one last look around his former land.

Five hours later, his paws sore as the rest of his battered body, Sir Thomas took a break from the long trail to his new den and slept in the grass under a bush. Two cats caught his scent and thought better of messing with the weary cat.

Nearly two days he had walked, following the call of his den until he arrived at the animal apothecary and slept on the door mat until the owner flipped the closed sign to open and spied him there.

Several years passed with him in the shop, most nights with him finding ways to get out of the cage the female human put him in until she decided to leave him out and finally giving him a name that suited his many breakouts.

It was long after his wounds had healed that he sat in his normal high perch when he smelled someone out of his past; two someones, in fact.

One was the pup who had often terrorized him by flying around the house on a piece of wood; the pup he used to be in charge of defending.

The second someone was an old enemy, the rat that brought the snake man.

Crookshanks, the cat that was Sir Thomas, did not know it, but he was about to hear the call of a new den.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22 Seeker trouble

The second week went by just as fast, but with more homework. Potions had them working on everything from poly juice to blood restoration. Transfiguration was getting so hard that they began to think they had signed up for the advanced class. They had to admit that the sound of Hermione's work load made theirs look more manageable and she had just _three_ classes.

There were two things that kept Harry from slipping back into the funk he had felt on his first day. The first was his defense class, professor Weatherwood threw many subject at them, most having just one class to pick up on the subject before the next was presented. Fast as he moved, neither Ron nor Harry found themselves overloaded in that class. Their teacher made every lesson fun or exciting with live demonstrations and a very "hands on" policy like having to learn to box, climbing buildings, long distance running, and dueling practice. That last often brought smiles from the few D.A. members who had taken the class.

The second was quidich practice; it was time to run tryouts for the team and he had already received half a hundred applications for positions on the team.

On Saturday, Harry had all the hopefuls meet on the field and put them through warm up exercises that quickly got rid of half a dozen unprepared applicants, some of which had never flown a broom.

"I thought we would start with the goal keeper so anyone who wants to try out for that position please step forward." Harry was surprised that only Ron stepped forward, but only for a minute. _Who was going to try to boot _us_ off the team?_

"Ooookay, on to the chasers then." Things went well if a bit congested; there were still thirty odd hopefuls. It was not until the beaters that a problem arrived. Unable to wait, the girl who had buzzed their car on the train raised her hand and stepped forward.

"I know you are captain, and guaranteed a spot on the team, but I really want to be seeker." She was mildly blushing, making the scar on her cheek stand out, and rushed thru the last as if he was about to stop her.

Harry had actually thought of this problem and mentally prepared, knowing that she was likely to try for his spot. "I understand and it makes sense to be sure that the seeker is the best person for the job." Contrary to his calm voice, Harry's back was itchy with sweat; he had done zero practice all summer and this Carmen looked like she spent her summer training. _Bollocks if I can't beat her!_ The look on her face said she had not expected him to roll with her statement. _Good, I hope it throws off her game._

He had set up a best out of three competition so both would have three tries to get their best time. He had two extra snitches in case one of them got over zealous and squeezed the first too tight.

Unable to speak without having his nerves show, Harry brought out a galleon and flicked it into the air, "call it", he said quietly. She called heads and won so it was her choice of who went first.

He was already mounting his broom knowing the answer and motioned to Ron to release the snitch, giving a ten count on his watch. Each player improved their time; goaded into action by the last performance of the other. Harry had offered his broom which was a hair better than hers, but she claimed that she was used to hers and would stick to it; though she looked at his broom after every trial as if she regretted her decision.

In the end, Harry won by a small margin as he caught the snitch while it was under his broom and headed in the other direction. Carmen's eyes were glowing with the resisting of her crushed tears as he came back down; she shook his hand and walked off in a hurry.

Ginny, who was the only member of last year's chasers, looked torn about how to feel about the outcome. "Hold on" he called to her retreating back, "you are too good a seeker to let go." He was a little surprised at how easy it was to say what he had in mind, but it felt right.

She looked back with the barest amount of her eye showing, Ginny inching closer to her for support. "Try out for chaser," he held a hand up as she started to tell him that it was seeker or nothing, "try out and if you make it there I will alternate the seeker position with you every other game; the one who trades off will be playing chaser for that game."

Carmen didn't move from where she was, she just nodded; clearly afraid to hope. She reached a hand up to a badge on her arm and held it there before she forced her legs to move and went back to try out for chaser.

On his way back to the common room, Harry was grabbed by Ginny and squeezed tight. "I can't believe you pulled that off!" When he just looked blankly back at her she went on. "We got close in the last few games and I was sure that she would not settle for any other spot." She kissed him quickly before running off to congratulate her friend. "Thanks Harry."

He smiled as she walked away and nodded to himself. It very much felt like it was time to pass the torch. And take it back every other match of course.

Hermione had an arm around Ron who was looking quite pleased with himself. "Must have made an impression," Ron said excitedly, "not even one challenger." Harry gave him a flat look and they both chuckled. Ron hadn't missed it either.

"I think she knew Dobby," Hermione told them glancing towards where Carmen had gone," she has a poster of him in her dorm room."

Ron and Harry looked at each other in wonder. "What would she have that for?"

"Not to mention where she got it", Ron added.

"Dobby, hero of Hogwarts." That was put in by Ginny who had returned and overheard their questions. "She heard that it was Dobby who _convinced_ Ron to drive his father's car to Hogwarts." She gave her brother a mildly withering look.

"Even if that was true, how does that make him a hero?" Harry asked; Ron was still struck dumb by the comment.

"Maybe she heard of how the car saved you two from the spiders," Hermione stated.

Ginny shook her head, "she was here when most of the kids her age were smuggled out; joined up with something called the hundred and first air brigade and grabbed a broom." She pointed towards the forest as she went on. "They got pretty beat up and when they were trapped and immobilized they were picked up by dad's old car which took them to the school to get patched up." She squeezed Ron and Harry's arms. "Dobby saved almost as many people as you three."


	23. Chapter 23 the hundred and first

Chapter 23 the hundred and first

Right on time, a friend sent a noisy spell to the other side of the hall so Carmen could slip out of line and stay. She was on the Gryffindor quidich team and was not about to be hustled out like one of the first years.

She had to duck down low so no one would spot her thru the window set in the door as she made her way to the window. One peek out showed her that she was in the wrong classroom; the one with the climbable edging was two rooms over.

With her heart pounding in her ears, Carmen broke for the right door and dashed in as the sounds of more students preceded them. This time she searched the room for things she might need. _No time to hit my dorm room._ She came up with little; a quill and ink were on the desk, but she had to pluck some paper out of the bin to write on. She had to go back to the original room to retrieve a bag some other student had left, which was full of parchment, ink and a bedraggled quill.

Grumbling to herself she was out the window before she remembered to check the teacher's desk for an owl whistle which most teachers kept in their desk. She found it in the original classroom. _Battles prolly over by now!_

She felt as if the whole school had their eyes on her back as she crossed Hagrid's yard to skirt any spot that students might be leaving from. She reached the pitch and blew the door to the dressing room open with the unlocking spell Ginny had taught her. There she found a section of crummy brooms and an ill fitting set of Ravenclaw quidich robes. _No way am I flying in a skirt._

As she was picking a broom, Carmen heard a group of voices; speaking in whispers, just outside the door she had left unlocked.

The unlocking spell was cast on the door by someone out there and she thought she knew that voice. "Stanton, what are you doing here?" Carmen asked, opening the door for him and making him jump. "You nearly got a spell in the face."

Stanton lowered his wand and pushed his sweaty hair out of his face. "I would expect no less from a Gryffindor." He pushed past her, followed by two other Slytherin players and Millesin Baulstrum's hulking figure. "Shouldn't you be on your way out like the rest of the babies?"

Carmen felt it a bad idea to point out that all the Slytherins should be out, now that she was surrounded by them. She was very aware of how alone she was now that the area was full of possible enemies. Her eyes stayed on them and her hand stayed close to her wand.

Wilkist, the turtle faced chaser, waved his wand out of the small space left by the nearly closed door and summoned his broom. His fore head was creased with worry as he watched the area while waiting for his broom; he gave a jump as it flew out of the dark. Good to know that she was not alone in her apprehension.

Carmen pulled a quill from her bag as subtlety as she could; these slytherins were not being any more hostile than normal, but they might be checking if she was alone before striking.

Stanton eyed the quill, but kept what he thought of it to himself. "We can use this spot as a rally point if we are separated," he peeked out the far door that led to the pitch, "I say we stay low until we reach the forest, then skim the lower branches; see if we can't stop them from coming in that way."

Carmen put the quill back after that. _Slytherins working to keep death eaters out_? Maybe she didn't have to do this alone after all. Of course she would be a better scout alone; harder to see, but there was strength in numbers. _Time to test the waters._ "Have they reached the front gate yet?" She hoped they didn't hear her doubt in the question.

Wilkist looked to Stanton, but didn't wait for his approval. "Nothing yet, you hear anything from the forest?"

Carmen gave a mental sigh of relief; if they were not with _him _then and they were not going to be trouble for her. She ran thru what she saw and heard from the forest and changed what she had been about to say. "There was a lot of animal activity for being so close to the school, but I haven't been there other than magical creatures class so that could be normal."

Stanton nodded. "Might as well check it out, you should go up to the school and tell the staff." Wilkist looked as if he was going to say something and chose to keep it to himself.

Carmen gave Stanton a flat look; so that's how they were going to be trouble. She pulled the whistle and gave it a short blast. "An owl will be here in a minute to deliver your message; I am going to the forest." She put on a set of wrist and leg guards, aware that they were all watching her.

The owl arrived while Stanton stared at her. "Pilleck, send a message to McGonagall. Tell her we will stay out of the way and will be checking a disturbance in the forest," he looked at all of them, "tell her we think its death eaters."

Wilkist leaned close to Stanton and lowered his voice. "Maybe we should keep quiet about our presence until we have proof. They don't want us with them." He tilted his head towards Carmen. "She's going to get hurt." His voice held an edge, even at low volume.

Stanton looked over at Carmen and shook his head, a look of disgust on his face. "We're about to go into the forest to fight for our school; for it, not against." He looked back to the forest where they could all hear the clamor. "Keep your head down and stay close. Wilkist, summon her clean sweep; she's going to get killed on one of those school brooms. Nothing we can do about that goofy looking get up she's wearing."

The forest held lots of trouble for their first inspection. By entering at an odd spot they had to move slowly, due to the heavy under growth. Wilkist pointed to old bones that were poking out of the leaves; a bad omen. They were close enough to a stream to smell it when they saw one of the huge spiders rumored to lurk much further in the forest. Shortly thereafter they saw wand lights and spells setting whole trees alight.

They had seen enough and chose to head back to the field only to turn and be spotted by snatchers who were advancing quietly ahead of the other death eaters.

Caught off guard, they scattered like birds as spells lit up the night. Stanton was immediately hit and just managed to stay on his broom; his quidich gear taking some of the damage. Carmen and Wilkist made for the edge of the forest to lose them in the sky. It was fortunate that they went that way as three blasts hit between them and they both were knocked off their brooms. The fortunate part was that they landed on the far side of the lake in deep enough water to not be too hurt.

They took one of the boats, minus the lantern, riding flat on their backs to get back to the other side; peeking over the edge every few seconds to look for their brooms. "When we win," Wilkist whispered while they were lying down, "Slughorn will throw a party; he always does." He swallowed loud enough to be heard by the snatchers roaming the grounds. Voices carried over water and they were already being hunted, but he might never get a chance this good to ask her. "Would you go to the party with me?"

Carmen slowly turned her head to look at him; he kept looking straight up. Is he asking me on a date _now_? As odd as it was, she was pleased. He was a Slytherin, but he didn't act the part; he was fun and she spied him dancing at one of the school dances. Right now his head was retracting into his shoulders and his eyes were going wide so she snapped to the question. "Sure." She was glad that she sounded so calm. "Tell then, keep an eye out for my clean sweep."

His eyes returned to normal and he looked quickly at her before peeking over the edge. They were both scared, nervous also, but for different reasons. The cool night air, the stars, even the rocking of the little boat was elevated to a more exciting level. Both drew in the smells of the night, the forest, the lake, the cut grass of the grounds; it was a night they wanted to put to memory. For a moment, their trouble was chased away by the thought they both shared. _I'm going on my first date!_

The boat was hit by a powerful spell that threw them both out of it. They came to the surface ten feet from the shattered remains of the boat; cuts on their backs and sides from its pieces. Soon spells were hitting where the boat had been.

Wilkist cast a spell towards the bottom of the lake and swam close to Carmen. "Hold on to my shell." When she just looked at him he had to smile. "I hope you can keep a secret." That said he did a flip under water, his head coming back as a turtles; eyes half closed and his mouth open as if to say ta-da!

The spells were getting close; she would be spotted or hit at any moment. She could not see anything below the surface and was terrified of what might be down there, but it was better than being caught or killed so she nodded to the turtle and grabbed on.

The Wilkist turtle raced into the dark water that went from cold to freezing in a few feet. Carmen's ears were ringing then aching as they dove deeper than she had ever gone. She popped her ears while trying not to worry about the small breath she had taken before going under. She was just beginning to fight the urge to return to the surface when they dropped into a half bubble attached to the sandy bottom.

Wilkist had transformed by the time she managed to get her wand to glow and he promptly grabbed the end, effectively muffling the light. Now she could see the wet sand around them and the dome that kept them crouched down. "We should wait here tell they move on." He lay down on his battered back to look up at the black above them that was the lake. Carmen joined him and they watched the black light up a little as spells hit the water, causing quiet bangs that shook their bubble.

Carmen shivered in the air that was only a little warmer than the water. "S-so, a turtle..." She was too cold to say more.

Wilkist warmed the water in her outfit with a hot air spell and looked back at the dark above. "Don't worry, I'm registered." He smiled to himself; he had never shown this to anyone outside of his family wildlife preserve. He was sure he would feel guilty or like he was showing off, but it felt good to let in a friend.

She smiled as pleasant warmth spread over her. Soon the snatchers would move on, allowing them to get out of the lake; tell then, she was going to enjoy spending time with this odd boy, in this odd place that was far from the trouble that would catch them up soon enough.

They gathered as planned back at the quidich rooms; Stanton had sent an owl to the teachers while the quidich player Carmen didn't know bandaged Stanton's forearm; the arm bracer had been burned off. "We need to be more careful about our patrols; maybe send a scout out on foot" Stanton dictated as he eyed an old map of the school grounds. Sadly their brooms were lost and it wasn't worth the risk of summoning them.

Carmen had been lost in her thoughts of Slughorn's party while the _Slytherins _had been busy coming up with a plan. She mentally kicked herself for not keeping her mind on survival. "Why not try flying higher than what they would try? I mean who ever bothers to fly as high as us?"

Eventually Carmen was allowed to go; her plan, her job. She got to report once before the amount of death eaters grew to such a number that it was unsafe to move alone any longer. She was going to say that she could handle it, yet if it tasted like a lie to her, she was sure they would call her on it. Stanton and Millicent knew the dissolution spells, just not to the extent that they could use them with any consistency.

They managed to save two students who were being attacked by goblins and brought them to one of the greenhouses where some students took the wounded students into the castle; probably to the infirmary. They caught the goblins by surprise and hit them with every spell they could. The victory spurred them to return to the same spot, only to find themselves on the losing side of another battle. ;One that would effectively knock them out of the fight.

There last recon mission ended when they returned to where they had chased off the goblins and were set upon by three snatchers. A fallen log exploded in the midst of them and Carmen got hit in the face with part of the spell, knocking her down, stealing her hearing, and putting stars in her eyes. She was able to see Stanton falling as a green light hit him. Wilkist was on his belly clawing weakly at the ground; his leg was gone from the knee down. Pilleck launched a spell to somewhere behind her, only to be knocked into the bushes by a spell that had blood gushing out his nose.

Millesin got up then and shot a spell behind Carmen. Half her sight had turned red and she was still unable to breath. Carmen wanted to go to Wilkist who was silently screaming, but she couldn't move. Something moved up into her peripheral vision and she slowly turned to see a blue car, covered in ivy.

When she looked back to Wilkist he was being lifted into the back of the car by Millesin. She eventually put all of them into the car, but as she was about to get in, Millesin turned and looked back. She pulled the beaters bat from her belt and grabbed her broom. "Get them to the castle." She slammed the door and threw a leg over her broom. "I'll lead them away."

That was the last time she saw the burly girl; disappearing out the back window as the car took off for the school. The last she saw of her alive at least.

Millesin raced towards the sound of wizards coming over the hill. A beautiful witch with loads of dirty black lace topped the hill and was bashed in the face by the heavy bat as Millesin flew past, the bat yanked out of her hand by the force of the blow.

Three death eaters, the fourth died when her face was caved in, sent spells after the fleeing student. Millesin made it half way across the grounds before the death curse hit her. Her last thought was of her boyfriend, Vincent Crab, who was burning in the room of requirement. Her body fell into the trees and disappeared. The car went, unseen, up to the school

The next day Carmen awoke in the main hall which was full of injured people and weary students. Pilleck sat a few cots down, looking at his knees. She tried to call his name, but only a croak came out. Her face was thick with bandages and her throat felt like sand had been blown down it; her head felt like some of the bandages had been stuffed inside it. She sat up on the cot and took a moment to collect her self.

Pilleck spied her swaying on the cot and hopped up. "Better stay put." He pointed to the slew of new nurses, most of which looked like they would be trouble for anyone trying to get up before they were allowed.

Carmen could taste the burning contents of her stomach trying to go out the way it had come in and lowered her head to her hands. Her thoughts were coming slow, like they had been mixed in syrup. One thought came to her mind; Wilkist, with part of his leg missing. "Is-s…", she paused to work the dryness out of her mouth, "is Wilkist..." This time she stopped because she realized what she was about to ask.

Pilleck shrugged. "His leg is gone at the knee, but he'll live." He lowered his eyes, "Stanton is dead. I don't know about Millesin, but she hasn't shown up yet."

The news pushed her pain and sickness away leaving a different pain creeping in. They were good people, new friends that were closer than she had known. "We need to go look for her, they might have captured her."

She tried to get up so Pilleck put a hand on her shoulder to get her to listen. "Fights over, we already won. A lot of em turned tail and ran, but they'll be gone for hours now." He leaned close and pointed towards a door leading to the corridor that would let them out into the yard. "Get your legs under you and we'll go look for her."

He failed to see a student listening in who had signaled the weary looking headmistress. "There is no reason for you two to be out of bed." She eyed Pilleck's green robes and Carmen's too young face. "You were both foolish, but we have eye witnesses of your actions so you are not in any trouble." She gestured to an orderly who went to fetch another student on a gurney.

Pilleck did look a bit relieved; he was in Slytherin green after all. "No mam, that's not it, it's just that she was…" He quailed a bit at her look.

"Millesin is missing and we want to go looking for her." Millesin? Why was she so desperate to help these strangers? She had known these people for hours aside from the time she spent trying to beat most of them on the quidich field. She had not even known Millesin's name before tonight. Had she known them for just hours? It seemed like days, maybe even months; she felt like these people had been her best friends for years. This was very strange, yet it felt right to go find Millesin and bring her home. She could not let the headmistress put this on some uncaring person who was looking for bodies. Finally the words came to her. "She wasn't one of you," she waved a hand to take in the rest of the hall, "she was one of us."

"S-right," the student on the gurney said, "she's one o' us." The headmistress had ordered Wilkist to be brought to them so he would wake among friends. He reached a hand towards his fellow fighters. "Don't go without…" He dropped his arm as he fell back under. Evidently he was still too weak to even stay awake.

All three looked down at the sweaty faced boy in green; his missing bit of leg evident under the blanket. McGonagall spoke up then to one of the orderlies. "Bring them a couple of brooms; a couple of slow ones and keep an eye on them so they don't fall off." She said the last looking at Carmen. "Good luck to the both of you." She placed a hand on their shoulders in turn and walked off to see to other things.

Together, but regrettably without Wilkist, they found the body of their friend and brought her home.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24 a fat slug fest

Before Harry was out of bed, a first year was standing at the foot of his bed with a green envelope. "It is my honor to present you…" the young boy stopped his loud pronouncement as Ron's pillow struck him on the side of his head.

"Too early", was all Ron said before thumping back down, forgetting the pillow he had thrown. The first year picked up Ron's pillow and brought it back to him, producing a second invite and giving Ron a bow. A third and fourth was revealed, one going to Neville's empty bed and the last he clutched. "Could one of you give this to Mrs. Hermione Granger? I can't just…" He made a walking up stairs gesture in the direction of the girl's dorm.

Ron peered sleepily at the envelope and arched his eyebrows at it, "go on up, I'm sure they are decent."

The first year narrowed his eyes at Ron, "I have the strip that shows you attempting to do just that, Mr. Weasely. If you would…?" He set Hermione's on the bed and hurried out.

Ron blinked bleary eyed at the door the first year had just vacated. "You heard much on this Cee Cee guy, the one who made all these comic strips of us?"

Harry yawned and nabbed his bath robe, "saw some of his stuff at a pub in the alley; prolly someone from the order." Too early to answer questions as well. "Quidich practice tonight, we better get on the homework pile before Hermione makes another study guide for us."

Ron closed his eyes and grimaced, "let's grab some breakfast to go first." With that said he walked out in his bathrobe and slippers.

Harry, going with Ron's casual Sunday attire, joined him. They came back with coffee, peanut butter toast, and small smiles at the looks they got from the properly dressed students. They passed two teachers and never got more than a widening of the eyes; a perk of their new found fame.

Monday they were told to find an unsolved crime that the teacher would assist in investigating from professor Weatherwood. Ron was stumped, but Harry asked if it had to be in Europe. The dementor attack needed investigating. This presented a problem the next day when Neville asked if Harry would investigate a book theft that had him all flustered; so much so that he pulled at his hair when he heard that Harry already had a crime date set. "I got you covered Neville," Ron put in patting him on the arm, "get me all the information you have on the robbery and I'll turn it in tomorrow."

Neville nodded, hands still in his hair, but he kept looking at Harry. Ron didn't miss this. "Harry will work on this too if it means so much to you, but I gotta tell you Neville, if you want the best you want Hermione. Without her we would still be looking for the chamber of secrets."

Harry gave a quiet laugh and shook his head. "We will look into it Neville, in the mean time, what is this about?"

Neville looked around them as if several people were trying to ease drop before answering. "O.K... I spent most of the summer looking for a cure, with Luna's help I found a book that held an odd potion that could make it all right. The book was stolen from the only know person who had a permit to have the book and if I don't find the book soon and give them the potion, I will lose the one chance I have to spend some time with them."

Ron and Harry waited, but he didn't go on. "A cure for what and who Neville?"

A smile of fearful desperation spread across Neville's face. "It has a cure to bring my parents back, back from insanity."

Neville went on and on about how he had researched the cure and the man who had perfected it; so much so that at times he seemed like he was talking to himself. He was sweating by the time Luna overheard him and slid a hand along his hot cheek. She told them that she would draw up a list of events and places tonight and have it by morning.

By the end of the week they had a date for their separate crime investigations and were pleased to know that they were too old to require permition from their parents. Ron would have worried, but he was too stressed about the upcoming quidich game on Friday to be too jazzed about a book thief.

The game proved worthy of Ron's stress; the fight with Hufflepuff lasted three hours longer than anyone would have expected and ended with a dive that had the weary, cold fans on their feet. Carmen had played seeker and caught the snitch as she bolted out of the dark, putting Gryffindor up just twenty points in the final score. Harry felt mortified; not just because he was out of his favored spot, but because he had dropped the quaffle twice and followed the wrong chaser three times.

After the game Harry and Ron both watched as Carmen was carried by the crowd. "Member when that was us?" Ron asked. "Guess this is the view from the shadow."

Harry stretched his worn out muscles. "I'll take the shade, less chance of a sun burn." He smiled at his slightly disgruntled friend; Ron had a bad game as well, but was not letting it get him down like it did in his early years.

The next night they had to get dressed up for Slughorn's party; they took their time knowing that their girlfriends would be late. As usual, it was worth the wait. Both girls had new dresses although Harry thought that this one might have been one of the different looks of the dress she had worn at the swan song.

As advertised, the party was for the many students who had fought for the school last year. Many of those people were very reserved at the party, speaking quietly and dressed in their regular school robes. Slughorn noticed them stopping at the door and came over with less excitement than was his norm.

"Welcome, welcome, come on in." Slughorn waved a hand towards the quietly talking people. "Somber mood, I know. Well that was how it was last year, do try and enjoy some of the food; they may be quiet, but they would eat all night if I had food enough for it." He pointed with both hands to Ron and Ginny, "I invited your brother George to be here," he leaned in so his lowered voice could be heard; "I thought he could bring a little cheer to the gathering." He turned off to see a few more students into the room.

They B-lined their way to the food and met up with Luna who was chatting up a house elf. Hermione waved in recognition of the elf. "No Neville tonight Luna?" Ron managed to get the comment out before stuffing a crisp puff into his ever hungry mouth.

"Not tonight, he wanted to look over the notes George had gathered while investigating the crime scene." Luna hugged Ginny and pointed to a table nearby. "Winky has to get back to work,but…"

Winky bowed to Luna and spread her skirts, now in the Hogwarts fashion, for Hermione. "Miss is very kind to the kitchen staff; here is the recipes miss is giving praise for with some miss might find to her tastes." The house elf tendered a cook book of miniscule size; most of the pages had mobile pictures.

Hermione gave a beaming smile as she took it and elbowed Ron as she waved it under his nose after the elf left. Before she could say anything, George came into the room with a flourish of his hand and voice booming. "Somber music? Nobody laughing? That's it, everyone into the pool." He pointed his wand at a high point on the wall and blue paint spurted out. He traced a line around the whole room and produced a shell which he dropped in the middle of the room with a wink at Slughorn.

Harry was suddenly floating towards the roof; they all were, proceeded by the food table. Soon George had backstroked his way to the wall where a platform and waterslide formed and slid down, unnessiserily holding his nose.

The blue wall line sent out a light that gave the appearance of water, minus the wet. Suddenly the party was full of laughter and life.

George swam over to them and pulled a water lily, complete with lillypad, and gave it to Ginny. To all their surprise he pulled Ron into a floating hug. "Thanks little bro, I really needed that. The job, not the hug." He looked better than he had since the loss of Fred and Harry was happy to see, quite sober.

"Glad to hear it," Harry tried to grab Georges shoulder and missed.

George held up a finger and waved his wand at the nearest blue lined wall. A wave formed there and raced away, bobbing everyone dangerously close to the ceiling. "I needed the break from self indulgence in sulking, even left our store to my girlfriend while I boozed it up."

"You gave Neville something else to obsess over, but I don't think he is better off for it." Luna told him as she waited for the wave to reach her.

"Sorry bout that, but if you guys need more outside help let me know."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25 Crime time

By the middle of the next week Ron was very close to finding who perpetrated his class investigation. He had a short line of suspect and a known death eater was at the top. Harry was now cleared to start his investigation and had sent an owl to Hagrid to see if he could contact his new friends in the U.S. and ask for help.

By the end of the week, Hagrid had a reply and professor Weatherwood was ready to go. Harry was on pins and needles waiting for his first investigation; knowing by what George had told him via one of the copies he had made of Sirius's' mirror that it would be work, but not really any cloak and dagger. "I had a little practice while we were on the run Rodent; this is old hat for me." George had pinched his eyes shut at that; he was disappointed that Harry had missed all their better material; more so about the poorly chosen knick name. Lee had most of the Potter watch programs recorded and he hoped to catch up someday.

George shook his hand to stop any more talk; he had something he had to say right away. "You need to ask your teacher if Ginny can come." He waved the hand again as Harry dropped his jaw. "Too dangerous, how can you suggest, blah, blah, blah. I'm glad you're back together with my sister; if you want to stay with her you will ask Weatherwood." George nodded as Harry tried to puzzle it out and went on, "he won't let her go, it's just not allowed, but if you tell her that you asked…"

As George spiraled his hand Harry took up the thread, "she will not be angry that she is left behind again, but will be pleased that I tried."

George bowed to the mirror and then moved closer so his eye was taking up the whole square. "I think I saw her coming," he said in a worried whisper, "we didn't talk, I told you nothing, t.t.f.n."

Harry had a feeling that Ginny would be somewhat angry with George for both tutoring Harry and thinking the tall boy who had passed resembled her.

As suspected, Weatherwood denied his request to bring Ginny so Harry went to tell her the bad/good news.

"You shouldn't have bothered," she replied with a twinkle in her eye, "I knew I was not going." Ginny began putting together a fresh twig wand and held up an old, yellow piece of paper; a hand scrolled spell on it. "I need to see you off so tell me when you're ready to leave and I'll meet you by the gate." She looked deep into his eyes, a hand going to his chest, "I can't go with you, but I can watch your back, after a fashion."

Time seamed to speed up for Harry, the time to leave coming like a monorail. He should have felt like the mono was coming to hit him with the absence of his fellow crime fighters. It didn't; he felt like he was really stepping out on his own this time. This time he was going to do this alone. He smiled at his inner dialog and added that he would be with his professor and a bunch of American wizards; not to mention a half giant bodyguard.

Later Ginny met him and his two escorts at the gate with a bag over one shoulder looking like she was going with him. She froze at the looks everyone was giving her and then stuffed the bag into Harry's arms. "Stuff you might need," she opened the bag to show several potions, beakers, small instruments and a hat and scarf.

Weatherwood pulled a box out of his sleeve and held it open next to her tools. Both held similar items, only a few were in Weatherwood's that weren't in Ginny's. The professor favored her with one of the smiles her brother was inspiring in class. "Now why Miss Weasely, are you not in my class?"

Ginny looked at Harry with a somewhat smug set to her mouth and turned to answer him. "I might be going into teaching, unless I'm just teaching squibs, I don't know we'll have to see." She turned back to Harry and ran a hand thru his hair. "It looks good today so you should wear the scarf; it's one of the shield ones from George." She passed the hat to the Professor to inspect and drew her twig wand. "Put the scarf on strait away after I'm done and hold this for a minute." She handed him a wrap of cloth and stepped back to casting range.

Harry loved the sweater she was wearing. It was new from a trip into town, another add on to her wardrobe that she had bought from her dwindling cash from odd jobs over the holiday. It was woven from many colorful threads which was what _jumped out at her_ when they stopped at a boot sale. She said her mother did a lot of shopping this way, but was bad with styles. She seemed so much younger when they had first dated, now she was planning for an apartment of her own after they toured the world. She had told him this when she thought he was about to propose to her. "I will be your wife some day, no doubt, but first I am going to work at a lousy job that will barely pay for my manckey apartment that I _will_ have when you bend the knee." Unnecessary conversation thanks to his talk with her father really. He had picked up a tiny shirt pin shaped like a moon with ivy leaves that he had picked up at a later boot sale and was gifting it to her to wear at a hogsmead visit.

He was popped back to the present as she began forming a spell with the twig wand. He winced as she twisted her wand in a quick pattern ending with a sizzle that left what looked like a wilted leaf hanging off his jacket.

He was about to make an offhand comment when she raised the wand again and had pressed her eyes closed. Ginny began to cast while her eyes were still closed; her hand moving slowly thru the air while the tip of her wand left trails of glowing smoke. A sound was coming from somewhere he couldn't see. Soon the gates behind him were rattling with the noise which was growing in pitch; the louder it got, the more pinched Ginny's face was becoming. With a hiss from between her clenched teeth she finished the spell and dropped the wand.

Ginny popped a bottle out of her pocket and pulled the stopper with her teeth. She took back the wrap and wound it around her hand and the goop she had wiped on it. The wand was sizzling on the ground now, ruined by the too strong spell she had cast. The shriveled leaf was now a fat cocoon that all the glowing lines had fed into: it pulsed slowly with the same glow.

Professor Weather wood and Hagrid leaned in to get a better look. Weatherwood frowned at the cocoon. "I want one," he commented in a grumbling, questioning tone.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26 inspection gone wrong

They arrived in America shortly thereafter and had to wait in customs until they were officially logged as visitors before aperating to the preplanned meeting place Hagrid had arranged with his friends. "Don't see why we couldn't just slip in the back way like any other wizard," Hagrid grumbled as he waved to some men he knew, "prolly just wanted an autograph." He staggered Harry with a pat on the shoulder.

That had not been an easy wait for Harry. He wanted to get to it, get his hands dirty to coin a phrase. Instead he had to sit next to an old man who kept pushing his false teeth out and sucking them back in. The resemblance to that bulldog Aunt Marge had at least made him want to smile.

Professor Weatherwood might as well have been waiting for the bus he was so still and patient. "Settle down Harry, we will get there before any clues evaporate." Somehow the lectures about patience he had taught in class had not been about things like this. Harry had pictured movie cop stakeouts for that sort of thing.

Now he was with Hagrid's friends, about to go into the crime scene like muggles on motorized vehicles. "We can't go into muggle areas with brooms or aperating so we're gonna ride in, got a couple dirt bikes if you can handle them, otherwise you'll have to ride in with Homer."

Harry looked between the rusty old International and the dirt bikes and sighed. It was probably too much to hope that Homer would refrain from smoking out of respect for his passengers. It was.

Madam Maxine arrived shortly before they left causing Hagrid to sigh with relief. "I see why ya wanted Ginny along, Harry; it feels good to have your heart watching your back." Maxine beamed at his words and frowned at the bit of pink under his coat. "Every little bit helps", he told her solemnly.

Homer's truck was old, Harry doubted that there was an older truck on the road other than show pieces and this was decidedly not one of those. The shifter was huge and ungainly, taking a lot of shoving to go to the proper gears. The ashtray was overflowing to the floor joining a jumble of beer cans, lotto tickets, and spilt fries. Harry and his teacher cringed at the crinkling of cans and junk as they climbed up into the rusty behemoth. The very seat, which was showing it's springs, smelled of gas, oil, sawdust, and of course cigarettes.

The undercarriage creaked as the climbed in and the door ground closed with a squeal. As the truck worked thru the gears Harry was vaguely aware of the annoying whistle of the odd triangle window that stood at the front crook of the door; he was off at last!

Thirty minutes later they were still driving only now they were on a bumpy dirt road with the odd trailer breaking the monotony of trees. Harry was clinging to the one half of the seatbelt he had been able to find in the crumb laden seat; it was the only thing keeping him from hitting his head again. Professor Weatherwood looked quite snug with his seatbelt on. "The last time I had a ride this bumpy I had crashed a car into the school grounds and got pummeled by the whomping willow." Ron had actually been driving, but he was afraid that the more he said the bigger the chance he would bite his tongue.

They finally stopped close to a pair of walkways leading to a couple of mismatched cabins. "As we discussed; two teams, Hagrid will lead the first team into the right cabin while our team circles for back up." Harry felt that Weatherwood should have led this team, Gary was playing it by the book, but he had more confidence in the Professor. Gary checked the loads on a cheap looking revolver and put it in a Dockers clutch under his arm. "Crossed silver rounds," he told them for the looks he was getting, "better safe than sorry."

Harry found it was hard looking for clues and signes of outside threats while his friends were entering a potentially dangerous place. Maxine had to enlarge the door so they could enter. He saw wand light in the windows and forced his eyes to the perimeter.

Suddenly time slowed down and too many things were happening at once. A yell from Mat was preceded by the cocoon on his chest changing into some sort of bug. The yell got an instant reaction from Weatherwood who had his patronus up before the bug finished transforming. He almost missed the shining dog for the image of himself looking up at, well, himself as he flew down from Ginny's bedroom window. That thought brought the happy image he needed to form his own patronus and he brought the stag into being. He almost dropped the patronus when the pulse from Ginny's dragonfly, he recognized it now, synced up together and they both shone with a light red.

In the middle of their group a bunch of leaves burst amongst them, showering the group in bits of snow and dirt that had been protected from the sun. A dementor was coming out of the ground as if from a cannon, its cloak shinny like gas on water and much closer to the ground. With it came a bubble of dirty, oily cold that sprung around them; covering a hundred feet of ground and darkening the area within. It felt like they had been in a chilly rain for an hour, the cold was seaping in so quickly.

The others were a breath behind; using the protection of the other patronus creatures, they formed their own. An ineffectual line of fire running across the dementors head was Matt's contribution.

Although late to be cast, the patronus army attacked as one; smashing into the dementor from all sides in a mass of biting fangs, slashing claws, and goring horns.

Just as fast, they began to die. The dementor snapped into odd posses that were not movements, but the ending of movements; the time between them were just too fast to see. Each ending of movement severed spectral heads from necks, ripped open chests, and twisted heads until the connected neck was broken. The monster seamed to enjoying the carnage, like it was pleased to be killing something even if it was only patronus forms. If they had blood, Harry was sure the dementor would be bathing in it. Bathing in it and smiling; this was no ordinary dementor.

Harry tried to save prongs by calling him back, shocked at the speed and ferocity. The retreat was too late; prongs was taking his first step back when the dementor grabbed his horns and flipped the stag over his head to disappear in oily shadows.

Chuck, the big black biker, had his boar beheaded right in front of him because he was closest. Not knowing what else to do he punched the dementor with everything he had. The dementor did the same. Claws moving faster than a blur slashed up Chuck's neck and flung the man backwards with a crunch of shattered vertebrae and jaw.

When the dementor slashed thru the man's neck and face Harry saw under the cowl all dementors keep wrapped around them. Normally they had featureless heads with a hole like mouth; this one had long, thin, half moon eyes that were completely grey as far as Harry could see. This confirmed the suspicion that this was not a standard dementor, but some sort of hybrid or a different creature all together. These thoughts ran across his mind like fast moving beads of sweat as he tried to keep his rising fear from mastering him.

Gary gave a weak shout as his lifelong friend flew back wards as if the sight of it had stolen most of his strength as well as his friend's life. Gary's breath was now a strong vapor in the presence of the dementor minus their protective beasts. As he stumbled towards his downed friend, frost began to form on his jeans and in his hair and he began to hunch as he tried to hurry to his friend; it was like watching someone age as they walked, becoming a hunched old man with every passing second.

Weatherwood's runty dog was the only patronus still formed in the circle which was why the dementor was moving towards the worried looking professor.

With a scream of fury, Matt leapt onto the dementors back. He had his hunting knife out and stabbed it at the monster's chest, his other hand pulling the head aside so he could bite deep into its neck; eyes squinting in rage.

The dementor finally made a noise; it gave a moan like it was mildly disappointed; "oh dear, my shirt has a hole in it." This was due to the gush of smoke like blood that was spewing out of the torn neck, blowing out like steam past Matt's teeth to turn into the misty cloud that was disapating as it fell to the ground. Nothing was coming from where the knife was buried; the blade seemed to have simply crumbled to dust.

This crazed attack snapped Harry into action. He didn't know why the others were not coming; he just knew they needed help. He stuck his wand out and turned on the spot; stepping into the dark that came when you aperated. He told himself that it was their only chance, but it felt very much like he was fleeing. Instead of the pressing dark he heard wind racing past his ears and the dark was incomplete. Was he unable to move because of muggle restrictions or was this place like Hogworts? Something was wrong here. With increasing fear, Harry realized that the dementor was somehow holding him there while reaching for the small guy on its back. It was pulling him out of apparition!

The dementor reached past its shoulder and grabbed matt, tearing him from his perch, giving another groan of mild disappointment as the things arm began to smoke from the contact. In another blurred motion Matt was hurled bodily away from the dementor to strike a tree face first with a surprisingly quiet smack.

Harry gave up on aperating and recast his patronus. The stag formed with incredible ease considering the state of things, causing him to believe that Ginny's dragonfly was there just for this sort of assistance; it certainly didn't make prongs any stronger of which Harry had been hoping.

The dementor had been shifting so it could shoot forward and kill its last opposition, when it spied Harry's patronus and paused. I t turned those terrible half moon eyes to consider him; revealing the coffee bean shaped center which was pale yellow and somehow all the more terrible for it. It considered him as less important and shifted back to the professor.

The moment of respite was not wasted on Weatherwood; he had dropped two disks to either side of him and cast a spell upon them. The disks stretched to become telescoping rods that he touched before bringing his patronus back.

Frost had formed in the few patronus free moments Professor Weatherwood had needed to prepare this odd set up; now there were tiny bolts of blue lightning crackling between the rods and licking across the professor and his patronus, the frost bursting into puffs of vapor.

The small patronus had his fur up as he stepped before his master, the lightning arching off him to strike the dementor as it moved towards killing range of the professor.

The lightning did nothing to harm the dementor that Harry could see, but the monster was visibly slowed by it. _A slow death then._ Harry shook the thought away and readied Prongs to attack from the side; _don't write me off yet._ If the patronus was not enough, Harry planned to make the rope of fire Dumbledore had made to protect him; this creature gave off cold and that was the only thing Harry could throw at it.

As the filthy hand reached past the dog towards Weatherwood, it ignored the lightning, Harry sent in prongs and as Harry had feared, the patronus was useless. As prongs faded the other patronus began to weaken and Weatherwood sank to his knees, succumbing to the cold.

Harry saw an odd change in his professor: he lost his middle years and British good looks becoming an old Asian man who was holding a wand and what must be prayer beads in his one good hand. The grey haired mans left hand looked as if nothing much had formed beyond the wrist but a small amount of palm. He turned his drooping eyes to Harry and said the only thing he could as frost began to form on his face and a horrible hand reached for his chin. "Run Harry, get out." The scratchy voice must have been what he really sounded like.

A loud snap threw off Harry's casting of the fire rope and brought his head about; he had thrown out the idea of running. A bolt of cloth was wrapped around the dementors head. Harry followed the cloth back to its starting point and saw Matt, hugging the tree he had smacked into, or at least what looked like Matt. The man was on his knees and leaning against the tree like it was all that kept his face out of the dirt. A good thing because his face was a mess; his teeth were broken, his lips split and bleeding and something dangled from his bloody eye socket. His one good eye squinted thru his hair at the dementor for the moment he held it.

Matt didn't look angry any more, he looked like he was scraping the bottom and on his way out. Harry would have said he was going to go down fighting, but he was already down; still fighting though.

With a jerk of its head, the dementor dislodged Matt from the tree. Harry saw it happen with terrible clarity; the arm almost pulled out of its socket, the hand ripped from the bark, his nails bending back or tearing into a blood speckled claw. There was a quiet crack and two silver splats that hit the dementor as Matt sailed by, followed by a bright blob going the other way as the cloth came off the monsters face.

In a wave of warmth something rammed into the dementor like a train, throwing sparks as the two connected. Harry saw that it was a patronus in the form of a great dragon and it was losing momentum fast. As the dementor held its ground the dragons back feet rose into the air and came back silently to the ground.

The dementor had grabbed it in the middle of an attempted bite; one arm held the top jaw open and other hand gripped the lower where shadowy lines began to creep up the mouth. The dementor began to force the jaws apart while trying to inhale the massive patronus. The dragon's eyes blazed at this attempt to extinguish its life and it exhaled a burst of fire like light that engulfed the dementor with a silent roar.

Prongs was already reformed and on its way to help when the dementor was blasted to the ground in a dirty cloud of particles that had been scoured off it; as the particles settled, the remains were revealed. Harry nearly lost his breakfast when he spied the scrabbling bits that was left. The dementor now looked like a skeleton with baked on barbeque sauce and a bit of tattered cloth.

Now the monster was trying to flee, as a normal dementor would have. It hovered close to the ground, using its remaining handless arm to pull its self along; no longer able to get even a little of the grass to freeze.

Harry realized that the globe of cold had been replaced with a normal temperture. A crunch brought his eyes back to the diminished dementor and saw that the dragon had crushed it under one huge clawed paw. It gave off a small poof of dust and was gone with a last moan; this one sounding relieved.

Harry didn't need to turn around to see who had come to their rescue.


End file.
